MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. –More than 1,000 local families identified as needing assistance by community-based organizations received a $75 gift certificate to Ralphs/Food4Less and a bag of traditional Thanksgiving food items, courtesy of Kinecta Federal Credit Union and Nix Neighborhood Lending’s 44th Annual Holiday Food Drive held at Jesse Owens Park Gymnasium in Los Angeles.
The Food Drive is an opportunity for employees of Kinecta Federal Credit Union and Nix Neighborhood Lending to partner with more than 40 nonprofit organizations and churches to provide temporary relief to families in need during the holiday season.
On hand at the event to recognize the collaborative effort between Kinecta/Nix and community partners was nationally recognized Watts community activist “Sweet” Alice Harris.
“We are extremely proud to carry on this tradition of helping to provide holiday meals to deserving local families, especially during challenging economic times,” said Keith Sultemeier, President and CEO, Kinecta Federal Credit Union. “The Food Drive brings our employees and partners together to give back to communities where our members, customers and employees live, work and worship.”
To date, nearly $92,000 has been raised through member, employee and customer donations at Kinecta and Nix locations, along with product and corporate sponsors including Gonzalez Market, Mrs Cubbinson’s, Ralphs/Food 4 Less, Willis Towers Watson, Light House Escrow, Crowe Horwath LLP, Corelogic, Blue Shield, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., MoneyGram, Team Quality Design, Southwest Business Corporation (SWBC), LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and FIS Global to name a few.
Among the community organizations participating this year were: Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, Centro de Niños, Drew League, El Centro Del Pueblo, King Drew Magnet Medical High School, My Sister My Friend BCS, Parents of Watts, Richstone Family Center, Salvation Army of Compton, South Bay Family Health Care Clinic, Thomas House Family Shelter, Training and Research Foundation, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10218, Watts/Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club, and Watts/Century Latino Organization.