The Valley Industry Association and the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry celebrated 40 years of the SCV Food Pantry at a mixer last week at the SCV Food Pantry.
Joanne Ainsworth, executive director for the SCV Food Pantry, was excited to celebrate 40 years of service with the community’s business leaders and do something that the Food Pantry does not typically do.
“And so VIA invited us to do an ‘After Five,’ which is a mixer, informational kind of fun thing after work, right … and so we said, ‘Of course, yes, we’d love to do it,’ which is exciting because we’ve never had really anyone here like this,” Ainsworth said.
Ainsworth added the SCV Food Pantry just had a pantry refresh as well, so she wanted to show off the new look to attendees.
“I think we’re just really proud because not everyone comes down here or knows where we are. And so, it’s just great to show off kind of, our hard work. And also, so people can see how small it is and how many people we’re feeding in this tiny old place,” Ainsworth said.
VIA CEO Kathy Norris said she felt honored that Ainsworth wanted to do something with VIA to commemorate 40 years of service.
“We actually were tremendously honored that Joanne (Ainsworth) asked us if we wanted to do an event here to help them commemorate that 40th anniversary, which is a really big deal,” Norris said.
Norris then congratulated Ainsworth, saying Ainsworth is doing wonderful work from the “tiny location.”
Ainsworth returned the kind words by saying Norris has been helpful with providing resources for the SCV Food Pantry.
“One thing I want to say is that we’ve been around for 40 years, and I feel like in the past, it was like the little engine that could,” Ainsworth said. “And it was very small and very just to itself, you know, of course, we’ve made it this far, but now we’re like this steam engine that can. And we’re ready to like to take off into the next chapter of the pantry’s life and feed more people.”
The SCV Food Pantry feeds about 8,000 to 10,000 people per month on average, Ainsworth said.
Valerie Bradford, board president of the SCV Food Pantry, said it felt amazing to be celebrating 40 years of service.
“I have a heart for service, and this allows me to do exactly that. And so, it is amazing to be here, to be visited by everybody that also has a heart for serving and giving and so it’s wonderful. It’s wonderful that we are seeing, that we are recognized and that’s what we need,” Bradford said.
Bradford added that the SCV Food Pantry’s impact on her is that it has given her hope for Santa Clarita. She added that many in the community still do not know the pantry is here, even after 40 years.
“And so, it’s given me hope for the community, for those in need, the people that donate to us you know, Albertson’s and Whole Foods and all the other people that donate to us, it’s all hope. And so, yes, I am just very pleased and honored to be here,” Bradford said.
Local dignitaries including Bill Miranda, mayor of Santa Clarita, and Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, awarded certificates of recognition to the Food Pantry.
Schiavo said she had the ability to volunteer with the workers at the Food Pantry over the summer and realized that the people who are struggling are people’s neighbors, like mothers, seniors and families.
“So, we’re so grateful for the work that the Food Pantry does to really make sure that those bellies are full, because as you said, you can’t do anything if you are hungry. It really takes over your life to figure out where you’re going to get that next meal. And the pantry has been doing this for 40 years, incognito a little bit,” Schiavo said.
