The Hollywood Food Coalition Begins Annual Giving Tuesday Campaign

John Billingsley as Doctor Phlox, both of whom want you to know about HoFoCo’s Giving Tuesday campaign. Images: HoFoCo / Paramount.

NOVEMBER 16, 2023 - Hello Daily Star Trek News readers!

Today, I want to shine a spotlight on the incredible work being done by The Hollywood Food Coalition (HoFoCo) in Los Angeles, an organization dedicated to addressing the needs of the city's hungry and impoverished population.

Last Thanksgiving, we had the privilege of interviewing John Billingsley (Star Trek: Enterprise’s Doctor Phlox) and his wife, Bonnie Friedericy (Rooney in the ENT episode “Regeneration”), about HoFoCo and their impactful initiatives. You can revisit the interview below.

HoFoCo's mission is to feed and serve the immediate needs of the hungry every day of the year, aiming to empower individuals to build better lives. For an astounding 37 years, this organization has been at the forefront of providing vital services to those in need.

• Nightly Meals and Ancillary Services: HoFoCo offers a hot nightly meal and an array of ancillary services seven nights a week. This includes access to medical care and housing support, forming a comprehensive approach to addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by the homeless and impoverished.

• Food Rescues: Beyond daily meals, HoFoCo rescues and shares approximately 3 million pounds of food annually with other service-based nonprofits. This food not only helps to supplement their meal programs but also contributes to the broader effort to combat food insecurity in Los Angeles.

• Community Partnerships: HoFoCo collaborates with around 150 organizations, ensuring a tailored and thoughtful approach to providing food assistance. These partners serve diverse populations, including street kids, survivors of abuse, older individuals in group homes, and those in drug/alcohol rehabilitation centers.

• Sack Lunch Distribution: Bonnie Friedericy oversees the creation and distribution of thousands of multi-element sack lunches every Sunday, reaching homeless encampments across Los Angeles. This initiative, in collaboration with community partners, has distributed over 600,000 sack lunches since its inception in 2020.

• Innovation in Food Distribution: Recognizing the challenges posed by food deserts and widespread food insecurity in Los Angeles, HoFoCo actively works to improve rescue capacity, storage capacity, networking capacity, and distribution capacity. They see food as a powerful means of building connections and mutual understanding.

As part of their ongoing efforts, and with America’s Thanksgiving celebration approaching, HoFoCo is launching a Giving Tuesday campaign. For those interested in contributing to their cause. Your support will go a long way in helping HoFoCo continue its mission of feeding and serving the immediate needs of the hungry while fostering a sense of community and support.

To learn more about The Hollywood Food Coalition and explore opportunities to get involved, visit their website.

Let's come together to support this incredible organization and work towards a city where everyone has food, community, and support.