MEND - Meet Each Need with Dignity

I've been volunteering at MEND for about 2 years and I can still recall my first encounter with ART and the families we served that day. The joy in the children's faces when we gave them the box of cookies or a fruit was heartwarming. Ever since then I volunteer at the farmers market every 3rd Saturday of the month. What MEND does to help the families in need and the local community is commendable.

I love and enjoy working at MEND. All the staff are amazing and always go above and beyond to serve the community. All the services offered are very helpful and as time passes more and more people become aware and utilize them. We keep growing each and every day. Grateful for this organization in my community.

I’ve had the opportunity of volunteering with MEND for the last few years and witnessed the impact the organization has to those in need .Everyone involved ensures the recipients are treated with dignity and respect .

I have been volunteering with MEND for the last 5 years, and it's always such an impactful experience. MEND does a great job helping the community in the SFV.

Wonderful non profit organization that helps the community in the SFV and surrounding areas.

I love volunteering at MEND. All the staff and volunteers truly care about their community and helping all families in need! I have recruited and found more volunteers and look forward to continue helping where and when I can.

I volunteer at the food pantry on Wednesdays and Fridays. The crew are all wonderful people, and we serve a LOT of clients with access to good food. I've been quite impressed by the amount of fresh produce we're able to provide. Helping out at MEND is a great experience, and you can tell it really makes an impact in people's lives.

I am proud to be part of this organization. Our approach is holistic, recognizing that while addressing urgent needs like food and basic necessities is crucial, it is equally important to empower individuals with the skills and support they need to build a brighter future. Our leadership team is truly inspiring, deeply compassionate and committed to our mission. Our volunteers are dedicated and passionate, bringing a wealth of experience and energy that supports our programs. It is a privilege to be part of this team.

MEND serves vulnerable people with incredible compassion & dignity. During a very tough time for everyone, MEND is ensuring that its essential services, including food distribution, are available to anyone in need. Its team is passionate, inclusive and caring, offering an open-door approach to life-supporting care.

The staff at MEND are caring and empathetic. They go above and beyond to support their community.

MEND provides essential food and hygiene items to people in need, along with services to help people improve their circumstances. Caring bilingual staff treat participants with dignity and respect, offering nourishment, guidance, and concrete supports.

MEND is one of my favorite non profits! They have been around for years, helping the most vulnerable members of our society get recourses when they need it most. MEND is there for people when they have no where else to turn and I find that to be beautiful.

A coworker shared her childhood experience with MEND, so I had a fixed idea of their work. However, I was floored at the level of humanity, compassion and thoughtfulness expressed to each client while distributing food. I commend the staff for their diligence in supporting those who are left challenged in these trying times. THANK you MEND!

MEND is a wonderful organization that provides outstanding supports to the community. MEND staff go above and beyond to meet their participant needs. The leadership truly cares about delivering strong services to the community. I've enjoyed being part of the team; MEND provides staff with great benefits as well and has a positive team culture.

They continually seek to find new ways to help their clients, not just survive, but thrive. They are committed to being transparent with their financials and seek to build a sustaining, efficient, and impactful organization.

I have been volunteering here for 2 months. MEND provides a wide variety of services to the community. I am proud to be a part of this community and helping MEND out with the community.

I have been volunteering since September 2023 and I feel like I've learned so much about where our extra food goes in our community. I've come to appreciate the work that's being done here. I'm also happy to be a part of it :)

I've been volunteering at MEND for a few months now and they serve the community with care and compassion. I love it here.

I have been volunteering here at MEND for about 8 weeks already. I have had a great experience volunteering here and all the supervisors here have been really great at talking to us and communicating with us. I love having to help people within the Pacoima community and despite the amount of labor that we do, it is a rewarding experience. Everyone here has made this volunteer experience fun and a great experience overall.

I have loved volunteering at MEND, been here for almost 2 years now and i have nothing but great things to say about the staff and mission! It is incredible to be alongside a group of peoples who's goal is the same and want to make a difference!

I volunteered at a MEND event and was very impressed with how organized they are and how focused on the community that they serve here in the Valley. I participated in a food drive that was organized in conjunction with the US Post office. I can only imagine the complexities in getting something like this setup and working – very impressed with MEND.

I’ve been serving on the board for a while now and am constantly impressed with the organization and its ability to execute the mission of serving the community with both basic needs (like food) and other needs like employment assistance.

MEND is the premier non-profit that has served the community of the northeast section of the San Fernando Valley since 1971. MEND (Meet Each Need w/Dignity). Food, clothing, jobs, homeless, etc.

I started volunteering for MEND 10 years ago, in the last two years I had the opportunity to serve as a Board Member. As a volunteer and Board member I have seen the impact MEND has on the community, when I first walked into the building 10 years ago I witness how every individual who walks through their doors is welcome and treated with dignity and respect.

I was originally introduced to MEND by my journalism students who were working on stories about poverty and hunger near our university in the San Fernando Valley, north of Los Angeles. From my students' reporting, I learned that MEND is a mission-driven non-profit, successfully identifying and meeting a wide range of needs for a historically underserved community. I started donating, and when I was asked to serve on the Board, I was honored and delighted. I continue to be amazed at the work MEND does recognizing the complex factors that can keep people in poverty. Its food bank provides healthy meals to thousands of individuals and families every month. Staffers are currently working with families applying for federally funded Section 8 housing, and MEND offers other housing services, employment services, emergency clothing supplies, and nutrition and exercise programs. MEND has also vaccinated thousands of people against COVID in the last two years. For more than 50 years, MEND has excelled at meeting each need with dignity, in a community that continues to face enormous challenges.

Knowing the CEO 15+ years, I am inspired by her passion, skill and expertise in putting 100% into whatever is put in her hands to do. Heading MEND for these past few years has truly seasoned her to a place of mission. Her heart shines through and countless lives are changed from these efforts. I am honored to know her, but also to know what is being done through MEND. The lives touched are forever changed.

Darla Kim

MEND’s dedication to help the community is why I think they are a great organization to support. Even during the pandemic they stayed open to help anyone who was struggling with food and resources. They continue to offer a variety of services to meet everyones individual needs.

MEND is an excellent organization that strives to help everyone in any way they can - including food distributions, community resources, and more.

MEND has provided help to so many people throughout the last 51 years and especially during the pandemic. From distributing healthy groceries to job assistance, they have truly made a difference in the lives of those in the community.

I serve as proud chair of the board of directors where I have served for five years. We feed tens of thousands of families annually who would otherwise go hungry and do so, as our full name suggests, with dignity (Meet Each Need with Dignity). For more than 50 years we have assisted the needy in the San Fernando Valley in a variety of ways with free food, clothing and medical/dental services. MEND is distinguished from many other non-profits by the hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours from those who assist us, many the same people taking advantage of our services. Our clients needs are greater than ever and if you have extra dollars to give to charity you’ll find no better place.

I had a wonderful experience with Mend in Pacomia. In particular LPN Cameron.
She addressed my needs & helped me submit some documents.

Very Helpful

I'm a donor! I know some of the volunteers and know this is a passion and great cause.

I have been a volunteer and a board member for over 3 years and I have witnessed the programs and services MEND offers to the most vulnerable in our community. The impact goes beyond statistics and numbers on reports. MEND has touched and changed human lives for more than 50 years. I have met professionals in my network that when they were younger their parents were struggling and MEND was there to help them!

I’ve seen the impact MEND has on communities and lives. It’s become a part of my family’s annual giving plan because we believe in the mission and the people who are bringing it to life. The pandemic has presented challenges for so many but MEND found ways to adapt and continue its essential work.

I am a community member in the San Fernando Valley and very aware of the excellent work performed by MEND. I am a board member and past Chair of a regional nonprofit whose mission is providing permanent supportive housing for persons that are formerly homeless and have been impacted by mental illness. (Our agency has completed 52 apartment projects throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego Counties that provide permanent housing to 2,900 individuals and families that reside in the more than 2000 units in our buildings.)

Based on my experience as an activist in the effort to address the issue of poverty and homelessness in our community, I have come to know MEND as a leader and key partner in the effort to provide critical services to persons that are part of the growing population of under served individuals in our community.

Why do I support MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity)? Their name says it all. Every person they work with is treated with dignity and their needs are addressed. They began as a grass-roots effort to support those in their community who were facing adversity. This effort has grown and continues to serve the community and provide resources that allow their clients to grow, thrive, and—in turn—continue to give back. I first learned of MEND through service-learning courses at the University where I worked. Students who had the opportunity to serve at MEND described the experience as “transformative.” This is exactly what we hope a service-learning class will provide to students, allowing them to understand their place in the social network of community. I’m proud to contribute to their work.

I have volunteered at MEND during many occasions and each time I am reminded of why I keep coming back. I truly enjoy working alongside the employees and other volunteers. I can see the difference they make in the community and how special everyone is treated. Whenever I get a chance I let others know to volunteer at MEND whenever they can because it is such a great organization. Everyone is treated with respect and kindness. The work they do to help others is so important.

If you want/need experience there is no better organization than M.E.N.D. to give your time to. Lupe Martin is your point of contact and the sole reason many of us continue to return. She is amazing and it is because of her that MEND rises above and beyond.

I’ve been volunteering at this amazing facility on and off for a while. I found this organization very organized and very helpful for those in need of food and clothing. Even during the pandemic, it amazes me how organized and dedicated their staff is.

I started volunteering for MEND 11 years ago and watched and participated how MEND has helped the community around them .
At the start of the pandemic MEND and as before, MEND was there to serve the community with drive up food service for anyone who needed boxes of food and fresh fruit and vegetables. Same for the homeless who walked up to pick up food.
This is definitely a 5 star non profit! Art Salter

I’ve lived in the San Fernando Valley for most of my life – just a few miles down the road from MEND. In the many years I’ve worked here, I’ve come to love the work we do and the care and support it provides to people who are in crisis. Along with the help of dedicated and generous donors, volunteers, supporters, and staff, MEND has been able modify services as needed to ease the current struggles of individuals and families in our community.

I started at MEND after the pandemic hit and I can not stress enough how fulfilling and satisfying it is to work helping others and making a difference in my own community. I was fortunate to receive some of the benefits at the food distribution while struggling financially during the first quarantine closures, and that's how I started getting involved. After I saw their social media accounts, and that they were recruiting more volunteers, I didn't think twice and sent in my resume. It has been an amazing experience working with tons of positive, resourceful and kind people that treat everyone with respect and compassion. My specific job is under a temporary grant that targets neighborhoods with low vaccination rates. We spread the word about our partner clinics and events to encourage others to come and get their vaccine.

As a supporter of MEND, I trust that my donations will be used to support people in need. They have been around for 50 years and have much community respect. They have strong and committed leadership, Board and staff.

Have been volunteering for the past year and I love everything about MEND. It's a great place that helps anybody that needs the help. They help families with food, clothes, medical services and job training.

Mend pretends to be a charity organization. However the Hispanic staff is racist. Only Hispanics can receive the best service. Those of us non-Hispanics are discriminated against.

Being involved -- I can tell you they do a fantastic job of caring for the underserved .
Whether it be the food service [eat in &/or groceries for home], clothing, showers for the homeless or the whole range of Medical, Vision & Dental services.

When I look at MEND, I see something beautiful and breathtaking happening simultaneously. I see an organization that is built to truly Meet Each Need with Dignity. A tremendous amount of love and forethought has gone into how MEND has has been envisioned, established, and enRiched. MEND reaches a vast amount of families in need right here in the heart of the valley, and greatly enriches their lives, in an incredible facility, and with an inspired and talented team of leaders, experts, and volunteers. Most of all, MEND creates dynamic and profound good, in such a comprehensive and altruistic way.

I've had the privilege and honor of working with MEND as both a volunteer, as well as professionally in the field of non-profit community work. I've observed some amazing accomplishments, and seen first hand, what a beautifully run non-profit this is for myself. The volunteers, staff, board, and leaders, seem to have a great dynamic, because the events are fun and festive, the vibe is always inclusive, and the results are absolutely astonishing.

MEND also really knows how to create great results, when you provide them with resources. They are great at taking on donations and opportunities, and saving massive amounts of valuable resources and food, from spoiling or otherwise being wasted. One of the best food pantries there is, anywhere, check it out for yourself. MEND can handle donations with expert precision, and utilizes a very highly developed network here in Los Angeles, to insure the maximum impact of every donated dollar, resource, and hour. MEND is more efficient than any business can be, because it matters to MEND, and it shows in how they serve.

As a volunteer, I worked on several different events, and on each occasion the MEND volunteers were all really fun, honest, good, loving people, making a difference together and feeling good while doing it. A lot of creativity in the fund raisers MEND puts together, never a dull moment, with such joy in the way this organization expresses: Giving.

MEND has an amazing kitchen onsite, at it's heart, and that gives it this true foodie element, as well as a lot of character and joy. People love to come together and cook up something beautiful for the community. The food that is prepared there is excellent!

MEND your world, it deserves you.

Meet Each Need with Dignity has been there to support the Skidrow Ministry (through Christian Assembly) for many years now. MEND'S resources has contributed to the improvement of the lives of those we minister. I was part of the Ministry the first few years when I learned about the power of food. Every week, I witnessed the smiles of people whose hearts began to burn for the Lord and who began to have hope in their lives because they knew complete strangers wanted to provide for them. I had the opportunity to develop a deeper intimacy with people by simply sharing food with them. MEND's contribution goes beyond simply food. Their commitment leads to transformed lives. And, so, MEND deserves to be THE BEST nonprofit out there!

After several times volunteering, I am still blown away at the amount of food this place receives and gets right back out to the local community. The work that is done under that roof is the lords work.God bless to all the work and help with MEND.

MEND provides vital services the the communities they serve and that community is large and wide-spread. I have volunteered there for the annual post office food drive and found MEND to be very professional, organized and well equipped to take in and distribute large quantities of food. The facility is modern, clean and a delight to be in. The people who work there are professional and kind. You shoudl check them out.

For 21/2 years I have been involved in serving the homeless on Skid row in Los Angeles and we have earned the equivalent of a "5 star Michelin" rating for the hot meals because of the quality of food that MEND has provided to us week after week.That you MEND from all of us at Christian Assembly Church in Eagle Rock!!!!
Bill Myers

For 8 years, Christian Assembly Church has been the recipient of food donations from MEND every single week. With just very few exceptions, MEND has never missed giving us what we need for our homeless ministry. Because of MEND, we have been able to serve hundreds of homeless people every week by providing them with hot meals and also sandwich/fruit bags. We also have the reputation of having the "best food on Skid Row." And it's all because of how MEND has partnered with us all these years in serving the poorest of the poor here in L.A. and giving them the most basic of their needs: food! They are consistent, faithful, helpful and such are a joy to work with! I cannot say enough about this nonprofit organization and they definitely deserve to get recognized!

I started picking up food from MEND with my friend Diana and I was overwhelmed by the kindness and caring these wonderful people showed us as we picked up food for our Skid Row Ministry. I observed each and every person working like mad to fill the requests of organizations ready to feed the needy and hungry people they serve. The people there were so pleasant and helpful to us. As Diana and I drove away after filling our truck for the food prep the next day, I cried with joy and admiration that such an amazing organization such as MEND existed. I am so very impressed and after I heal, I will be back. God bless MEND!

MEND is an answer to prayer. Through them, we at Christian Assembly in Eagle Rock feed really delicious food to oveer 200 people every Sunday. We even walk the streets to reach out to those who can't stand in our food line. I have made some very good friends who are trying to live in dignity while living on the streets. They have changed my life. I hope in some small way I can help change theirs.

I am part of Christian Assembly's outreach to both Skid Row and Day Laborers. Mend was an answer to prayer for us and has enabled us to have food which we prepare and then give to between 200-350 each week. We thank God for Mend and the opportunity they have provided to extend a helping hand to the poor and needy!

Each week MEND donates food to our Skid Row ministry and we are able to prepare a hot meal for an average of 250 homeless and extremely poor men and women living on Skid Row. Our relationship with MEND began more than three years ago and we have received food donations each week since that time. Our meals are known on Skid Row as the best available. Our ministry began eight years ago but since receiving from MEND, we have expanded to reach many more of our friends who come each week to our tables where they are offered a hot meal and lots of love. Thank you to Richard Weinroth and all the people who are so generous at MEND! Peggy Heim, Leader of Christian Assembly's Skid Row Ministry, Eagle Rock, CA

I first volunteered for MEND back in high school by wrapping gifts during the holidays. After high school I moved out of state for several years, but when I moved back home to California a couple years ago, I returned to MEND to volunteer. MEND truly makes such a positive difference in the community and the other volunteers and staff are a pleasure to work with. It is wonderful to see so many people work so selflessly to make a difference in the lives of others.

I have been donating to MEND for years and volunteering as a fundraising proposal writer for about one year. MEND is the largest multiservice, poverty relief organization in the San Fernando Valley, and their work to help those in need is of tremendous benefit to the community. MEND doesn't accept any regular government funds and thus depends on business and foundation grants and personal donations to continue their work. In addition to monetary donations MEND accepts in-kind donations of clothing, food and household goods for distribution through their Food Center and Clothing Center. With coordination MEND can also accept more specialized in-kind corporate donations for their Health Center. Helping MEND helps many.

My wife and I have volunteered for years, and we can honestly say that this is one of the best charity institutions in California. The staff & volunteers work hard and are eager to serve, and they do it for love of their fellow man.

My Name is Tom T. and I have had the pleasure of volunteering at MEND. When I first got there, I thought I was going to see just a regular food distribution center. What I found was the most amazing collaboration of Volunteers I have ever witnessed. They don't just distribute hundreds of thousands of pounds of food each month, they also have an amazing volunteer Chefs, Dentists, Doctors, showers, full clothing store (free mind you if you can't afford to pay) and they also have vocational assistnce as well as Counselors just to name a few of the services. Everything someone down on their luck needs to get back on track. I wish them all the best and I pray for them to receive enough donations and volunteers to keep operating.

I have been a volunteer at MEND since 2004. The outreach and good MEND provides to the community is unbelievable.

I have been a volunteer in the emergency food dept for 15 years, 10 years as a driver picking up donated food at the markets and the last 5 years maintaining a computer database to track incoming and outgoing food. To me it appears MEND grows each year and each of those year the services expand, and with that the staff becomes more knowledgeable and concerned, the operation grows in efficiency and the volunteers become more involved. I am continually amazed at the enthusiasm and caring of the staff and the dedication of the volunteers as the entire MEND operation looks after the needs of the clients.

I am a volunteer fund raiser at MEND and I write Grant Proposals to help fund the vast array of programs MEND offers to the impoverished and under-served members of the communities we serve. Since MEND does not request, nor receive any Government assistance, the use of dedicated and qualified volunteers helps maintain administrative costs below 6%. Among the many programs available are our Medical and Dental Clinics which are staffed primarily by volunteer Licensed Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Professionals who provide services at no cost to the patient. Volunteers have been a critical part of every aspect of MEND since its grass roots beginning in a garage more than 40 years ago. Today MEND has become the largest nonprofit in the San Fernando Valley and a beacon for desperate families and individuals in need of assistance.

MEND started in 1971 in my garage! Over the 4o+ years of involvement, I have met so many wonderful and dedicated volunteers! Also, the clients we serve with dignity are wonderful and deserve all the services we offer. They are helped to give them some skills what can hopefully help them out of the poverty cycle. I cannot think of a more deserving non-profit to win! The staff at MEND is energetic, innovative and strives to give the best service we can to our thousands of clients. We treat all with the respect and dignity that we would like to be treated with. The community at large is so supportive! Through the years our base of support has grown immensely! I have personally seen the good that MEND can do for our clients. One of my volunteer activities is in the medical clinic. The doc and I used to work at Kaiser and now devote 2 mornings a month to give women the care they need. The patients are always saying how grateful they are for the way they are treated at MEND. What better testimony can we give?

I work in the Welfare system as a GAIN worker and am able to refer moms and dads to MEND for community service, food, eye , and dental care, GED classes and much more. MEND is a community within the community and is all privately funded with great partners like Coppola, Disney, churches, Universal and more.

I began volunteering at MEND last year. They have so many services for those in need including a food bank, medical clinic, and clothing store. The management is great, and the staff are really helpful and friendly. They really do try to help as many families and individuals as possible, and if they can't help, they point people to the right resources or right people. They have great connections to the community and their Guidestar profile is very complete. I highly recommend them for volunteer opportunities or services.

I have been involved with M.E.N.D. for over five years now. All I can really say is WOW WOW WOW! This group of people and the work they do is amazing. They work very hard with very littel and get amazing results. You can trust them to manage your shared resources with and unmatched result. The more time you spend with M.E.N.D. the more you will see the blessing they will be to you and the community they serve.

I love this organization. They helped my mother and I through our toughest times. I always loved coming here when I was 6 years old because of the kind donations always given to us in our time of need. I hope to return the favor someday. Until then I hope that this great organization continues to thrive and help others as it helped my mother and I.

I've been a volunteer at MEND for more than 10 years. What's great about MEND volunteers is we come from all walks of life. Everyone has a talent that they can contribute to this 40-year old organization that was built by volunteers! If you're looking for volunteer opportunities in the San Fernando Valley, I would call MEND. They can use the help of students, families, retirees and even working professionals who can offer their expertise in graphic design, marketing, fund raising, writing and more. If you have any doubts, I HIGHLY recommend taking a tour of the building to see MEND good work in action.

For years I drove past MEND on my way to and from my daily activities without giving a thought to what it was about. One day I was counting my blessings and thinking I should be doing more to help others in my community. I contacted the volunteer coordinator and signed up to volunteer. I was so impressed with everything about them. Their kindness, their compassion, their professionalism, their organization, their facility. What a magnificent task before them and what miracles they perform everyday! I am blessed to be part of what they are doing to help the ever growing need in our community.

How can I say this...M.E.N.D is a meritorious charity group that contributes to the community around it. It has an amazing staff, and even more amazing is the amount of volunteers that spend thier time here at MEND. My time here at MEND has in my opinion "shaped me" into someone who not only appreciates the things he has, but into some one who will take time to help others, because during my time here at MEND, everyone is helping others, and it just kindof rubs off in you. Truely is an amazing feat., and not many groups can pull it off as well as this one.

I had a great time volunteering at MEND, its really rewarding to feed hungry families. The MEND facility is really nice looking. The building is huge and they have a bunch of different volunteer opportunities.

For the last 39 years MEND has consistently served the poor of the northeast San Fernando Valley. Their social service programs cover a wide range of needs and offer job training as well. It is frugally run with only 6% of its budget used for administration and fund raising. It is an outstanding organization which treats the poverty stricken with respect and dignity.