Ramona Convent Rising Senior Isabelle and Friend’s Contribution to the Community

by Kenny Tsuda | Jul 1, 2020 | Union Station in the News

Ramona Convent Rising Senior Isabelle and Friend’s Contribution to the Community

Volunteers with Union Station Homeless Services do their part in feeding the community’s most vulnerable people

by USHSAdmin | Apr 15, 2020 | Union Station in the News

Posted by Frier McCollister

There’s no place like home. Literally. No place like it… How well we know now. For most of us these days, there’s no place BUT home. For those of us quarantined with “loved ones” —unless you happen to be a dog or cat — we tend to fall on a spectrum between “We’re getting closer as a family!” and “I can’t stand looking at you!” The latter exclamation best applies to my “home.” 

Granted, my unkempt quarantine beard is now exceeding previously held records for facial hair experimentation in the house. On the other hand, my girlfriend never takes off her knit ski cap (from an aerospace conference) or her red bandanna. Never. It’s a great “look.”

At least that’s when I actually catch a glimpse of her. We live in an overly expansive house for two people. At least there are lots of places to hide. I can hide, but I can’t run…

Before the latest order to avoid even grocery shopping if possible — in a moment of weakness — my girlfriend blurts out, “We need to get out of here and volunteer or something…!”

It happened that I had just received an email from Union Station Homeless Services calling for volunteers to help in assembling prepackaged meals for their more vulnerable clients, who had been displaced to local motels for quarantine. Their volunteer quota for that week had been filled, but there was a shift available in the kitchen between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday. Running for daylight, I quickly nabbed the kitchen shift for myself.

Union Station has been operating in Pasadena and their satellite locations in the San Gabriel Valley for nearly 50 years. Over that time, the operation has earned a deserved reputation as an extremely well-managed and supported local organization that plays an essential role in effectively addressing homelessness in our area.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lock down, Union Station was serving 2,200 meals a week, routinely assisted by a cadre of hundreds of volunteers and their small dedicated staff. With the advent of the lock down and resident clients now scattered across the SGV, the organization managed to pivot quickly, despite a diminishing number of willing volunteers.

As of April 3, 5,000 prepackaged meals are assembled and distributed every week by volunteers and staff. Notably, the Patina Restaurant Group donated the use of two refrigerator delivery trucks to aid in the twice-weekly meal distributions. In addressing the growing issue of local food insecurity, by this week the number of distributed meals will have grown to 6,000 a week. As CEO Anne Miskey states, “We are showing how we are living our core philosophy of meeting our clients ‘where they are at’  — physically and emotionally.”

The founder of Patina Restaurant Group, Chef Joachim Splichal adds, “We are honored … to do our part in helping to feed our community’s most vulnerable.”

The Kitchen at the Adult Center still serves three squares a day to the healthy residents who remain at the facility. Unfortunately, public access to the meal service has been discontinued for the duration of the current lock down. The kitchen operation at USHS Adult Center is ably commanded by Chef Marisa along with Jimmy Lawson, Loretta Guerrero and Lawrence Regalado.

I’m a kitchen rat at heart and frankly I had been itching to volunteer here for a while, but I was too busy… visiting restaurants and chefs… until suddenly I wasn’t.

I show up at the kitchen door on time and am greeted by Beau Swofford. A regular volunteer with a languid east Tennessee drawl, Beau gets me settled with disposable gloves, a mask and an apron. After a round of introductions and quick tour of the relatively compact industrial kitchen, he deposits me in front of three large sinks and a growing stack of huge pots, trays, and kitchen tools waiting to be washed. After instructions on how to operate the industrial disinfector next to the drying counter, it’s wash, rinse, wash, rinse, disinfect and repeat. For the next three hours. I’m just getting into my groove, when my phone goes off. [“No Caller ID” is my girlfriend’s name. ] Why and how I manage to answer the call is complicated, but I do.

Apparently even more hysterical than usual, she is now convinced that I’m undoubtedly infected and that a mandatory 14-day personal quarantine will be waiting for me back “home.”

Rather than inquire as to available vacancies at the shelter, I return to my station and plunge my arms back into a tub of disinfectant. Trust me, after observing hygiene procedures here, the kitchen at Union Station might be the safest spot in town with the possible exception of a “Clean Room” at JPL.

It’s not all work, though. Prepping for lunch service, Chef Marisa invites me to first sample her subtly sweet and tangy udon noodles riddled with juicy slices of portabello mushroom and then a savory bite of Chinese-style red-rind barbecue pork. Did I mention I’m here for lunch?

It’s a light service today and with the clients sated, Beau and I grab some plates to enjoy Chef Marisa’s signature Udon Stir-fry with barbecue pork, fresh bok choy and spring rolls. We retire to the outdoor tables, where the packaged meals are prepped, and from six feet away we trade notes. As it happens Beau is a nonprofit veteran of shelter operations and management in several facilities around the country and he quickly confirms my own impression of Union Station’s apparent excellence.

After lunch, all the pots and pans sparkling on the drying counter, I join Beau and Loretta in disassembling unused snack packs donated by PUSD that will then be used to supplement the packaged meals for distribution. Then it’s over to the freezer to store gallon cartons of donated milk. Each task falls into an easy rhythm and the time passes almost too quickly. The people are lovely, the food’s great… why leave?

But I do have a home. And I’m truly grateful to have one. And there are too many folks who don’t and likely a growing number uncertain of their next meal. If any of us lacked empathy before the current horror, perhaps we can better recognize the need and manifest some now.

We may not all be homeless and hungry, but we all do share the same plate of uncertainty and insecurity for the future and its side dish of anxiety. Suffice it to say, I’m not ordering take-out anymore. I’m volunteering here. You should too. Union Station Homeless Services: There’s no place like it.  –

POST SCRIPT: Our sincere condolences go out to Chef Laurent Quenioux — the subject of Part 2 (PW, April 2, 2020) — on the passing of his mother, who died last week in Paris from complications related to COVID-19 infection.

Source: https://pasadenaweekly.com/volunteers-with-union-station-homeless-services-do-their-part-in-feeding-the-communitys-most-vulnerable-people/

Here’s How Putting California’s Homeless in Hotels Actually Works

by USHSAdmin | Apr 10, 2020 | Union Station in the News

Matt Levin, CALmatters 

Richard Dobbs was coughing, feverish, and preparing to sleep on the sidewalk again.

Dobbs, 60 and homeless in Sacramento for the past two years, had just been discharged March 28 from Sutter Medical Center’s emergency department, where he was given a test for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, and written instructions for how to self-isolate while he awaited the results.

“Separate yourself from other people in your home,” read a bold-faced warning. “Stay home except to get medical care,” read another.

Home for Dobbs most nights was the sidewalk next to the Wells Fargo Pavillon, a theater in downtown Sacramento. Staff at a local food bank saw him in line the next day and scrambled to find him a motel room where he could safely self-quarantine.

Dobbs’ test results came back negative. But with his motel stay scheduled to end on Monday and county caseworkers trying to place him in transitional housing, Dobbs is fearful he’s now even more vulnerable to the virus.

“I would stay (in the motel) for a while now because I’ve always hated going into shelters,” said Dobbs. “Because you get sick going into those places.”

In an unprecedented effort spurred by the pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom and local governments across the state say they are scrambling to find 15,000 hotel rooms for people like Dobbs: homeless and particularly susceptible to or exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus infection.

As homeless Californians begin to move into these units, new questions have arisen for hoteliers, shelter providers, health care workers and government officials: How much should a room cost, and who should pay for it? How will meals be delivered? How will residents with mental health and addiction issues be handled?

And, when all this ends, will people in these rooms end up back on the street?

Here are some answers:

How many homeless people have been moved into hotels so far, and how many rooms are available?

The data here is sketchy. A spokesperson from Newsom’s office said today 1,813 hotels or motel rooms are now occupied as part of Project Roomkey, a joint effort between the state, counties and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Newsom also said during a press conference that the state had helped procure 8,742 rooms.

State and local housing officials say Newsom’s numbers are underestimates because they don’t capture independent efforts from county governments to set up hotel rooms on their own. San Diego County, praised by Newsom for its quick action, secured 1,300 rooms in mid-March. The number of people actually relocated to hotel rooms is also due to increase significantly this week. Los Angeles County alone plans to have more than 1,069 beds occupied by the end of the week.

But the task ahead is daunting. More than 150,000 people are homeless in California, 108,000 unsheltered; an optimistic count of the number of those moved to hotel rooms so far represents a little over 1% of that total. The effort has already required a great deal of logistical gymnastics and staffing. Even focusing on only the highest-risks populations — seniors, those with underlying health conditions — will be a huge undertaking.

Where are the hotels? And are we talking about the Ritz or Motel 6?

State and local health officials have declined to share a comprehensive listing of hotels that have opened their doors to homeless people. They argue releasing such information risks those individuals homeless showing up at hotels and demanding rooms without referrals from physicians or caseworkers.

More than 1,000 hotels across the state have at least expressed an interest in providing emergency quarantine accommodations, although that includes temporary housing for health care workers and first responders, according to data from the California Hotel & Lodging Association. Hotels in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange counties alone account for more than 40% of possible rooms in that survey.

While some higher-end boutiques and well-known brands such as Comfort Inn and Radisson are participating, state and county officials are having more success with smaller, independent motels that may already have relationships with local housing authorities.

That’s partly because independent motel owners can act quicker than major corporate chains, and partly because those motels are often already located in neighborhoods with shelters and other homeless service providers, making it easier for counties to get them up and running.

Are enough hotels willing to do this?

Yes, at least so far.

Local health and homelessness officials will tell you finding hotels and motels willing to participate hasn’t been a major bottleneck yet. At least not compared to other logistical hold-ups (see below).

“We have a lot of interest, a lot of receptiveness, from motel operators,” said Cynthia Cavanaugh, director of homeless initiatives for Sacramento County. “We actually have interest from places we never expected, so that part has not been as much of a challenge.”

The major reason hotels and motels are opening their doors so readily is the obvious one: It’s not like demand for hotel rooms is high right now.

“(These are) brutal, unprecedented, extraordinary times,” said Lynn Mohrfeld, president of the California Hotel and Lodging Association. “Anyone that is open right now is losing money,”

Mohrfeld said on a typical non-pandemic week, about 70% of hotel rooms across the state are occupied. Now it’s single digits.

Who is paying for the hotels, how much are they paying, and what about insurance?

Newsom said late last week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will pick up 75% of the tab for rooms that are housing homeless people who have tested positive, are symptomatic, have been exposed to the virus, or are in highly vulnerable populations. Counties are on the hook for the rest, as well as for services, such as case managers and counselors, that residents may need. Counties can tap state emergency funds to help pay.

So far, the state has distributed $150 million to counties to help pay for motels and other homelessness services, but the total cost borne to taxpayers will undoubtedly be more.

Lease costs vary from county to county and hotel to hotel. But Mohrfeld said room rates in general are at least in shouting distance of the rates the federal government pays when its employees stay in California hotels. That “standard” rate is about $96 per room per night (higher in most cities), and leases are typically 60 to 90 days with options for extensions. Hotels may also be receiving additional reimbursement for higher insurance rates and associated costs.

While local governments and the state have generally agreed in contracts to pay for any property damage incurred as a result of repurposing hotel room, Mohrfeld said there’s still uncertainty among some hotel owners that their properties will be returned to them in the condition they were in before the quarantine.

“It’s the fear of the unknown,” said Mohrfeld.

Who gets into these hotels?

First priority for state and county health officials are homeless Californians who have tested positive or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

While the process varies from county to county, the general timeline is as follows: Shelter staff identify someone with symptoms and quarantine them within the shelter as quickly as possible. The shelter staff then alert county health and homelesnsess staff that the individual is in need of a motel room where they can self-isolate. That person is then safely transported to an “isolation” motel where an on-site nurse and other medical staff monitor their health. Once the person is free of symptoms and believed not to be contagious anymore, they are discharged back into a shelter or into another housing option, if available.

If their condition worsens, they may be taken to a hospital. These “isolation” motels may include not only people who are homeless, but others who are symptomatic or have tested positive but lack a safe place to self-quarantine (those in senior homes, for example).

Multiple shelters across the state have already reported residents with positive tests, and officials are hoping to avoid outbreaks in congregate shelters. Removing symptomatic patients can also free up more beds for healthy people to come in off the streets. But some advocates still warn that congregate settings and resident turnover puts healthy people at risk of contracting the virus.

Those identified as symptomatic on the street will also be eligible for the hotels.

What about the homeless who don’t have the virus or aren’t symptomatic?

Homeless Californians over 65 or with underlying health conditions will be placed in their own motel rooms, separate from those who have tested positive or are symptomatic. It’s unclear how long this population will be allowed to stay in their rooms, and may vary from county to county.

In recent comments, Newsom has pushed back against any expectation that the state may be able to provide motels for every Californian living on the streets. The hope is that by rapidly expanding emergency shelters (San Diego has converted its convention center to a shelter; Los Angeles has converted city recreation centers), homeless individuals that don’t fit the “high-priority” populations eligible for hotels will still be able to come indoors.

But some homelessness advocates have decried that approach, insisting that hotel rooms be commandeered for anyone without shelter in the midst of a pandemic. A plan to convert San Francisco’s Moscone Center into a temporary shelter has been scaled back after photos emerged of a conference center packed with thin sleeping mats, folding chairs and not much else.

Why the delay between acquiring rooms and getting people inside?

On March 16, Newsom said the state had helped acquire its first two hotels for emergency homeless housing, by the Oakland Airport in Alameda County. But the ink on the lease had been dry for nearly two weeks before people who were homeless actually started to move in. Why the delay?

Staffing. Arranging physicians, nurses, caseworkers, food delivery, security, cleaning and other services has been more of a hurdle than actually acquiring the hotels. For hotels isolating those who are symptomatic, personal protective equipment is needed for county, nonprofit and hotel staff.

Transportation has also proved a challenging issue as counties grapple with how to safely move symptomatic homeless people with pets and belongings while protecting transit workers.

“Our population is not just getting on a bus with a suitcase,” said Cavanaugh. “The need to have specialized transportation to handle all of those things is large.”

Who is working at the hotels?

Staffing will vary from hotel to hotel and county to county, and will depend on whether hotels are intended for isolating homeless people suspected of having the virus or simply vulnerable because of age or underlying health conditions.

The Mayfair Hotel in downtown Los Angeles has 23 people who have COVID-19 symptoms or have tested positive, including several who are homeless. Eventually, the goal is to have 284 of the hotel’s 300 rooms occupied with people who are self-isolating.

There’s a nurse on site 24 hours a day. Physicians conduct telephone and video check-ins with residents. Private security monitors each floor, and private cleaning crews in personal protective equipment clean rooms when needed.

Either Stephen Fiechter or someone else from PATH, a nonprofit homeless service provider, is there all day to check-in with homeless residents on the phone, drop off meals at their door, and connect residents with shelter and other housing options once their stay is over.

Fiechter said that while organizations like PATH are happy to assist with the motel initiative, it’s been difficult to maintain their other homeless operations at the same time, which include operating shelters.

“It’s the staffing piece that’s really challenging,” said Feitcher. “Bringing on experienced folks, but not stripping our other programs.”

While not the case at the Mayfair, hotel staff may also be deputized to assist in cleaning up rooms or common spaces.

Mohrfeld, head of the statewide California hotel association, said that while some custodial workers may be hesitant to help, others are eager for the work and feel a sense of civil mission.

“Some are okay with it, some are fearful — it kind of runs the gamut,” said Mohrfeld, who said some hotels are negotiating with counties to ensure their staff receive protective gear.

What happens after the virus threat subsides?

While hotel owners, state and local officials, and homelessness advocates are understandably focused on the public health crisis at hand, the question of what will happen to the homeless after the virus threat subsides lingers.

Newsom has said many of the leases the state is negotiating include an option to purchase the entire property for more permanent housing, But Mohrfeld said that most hotels and motels he’s been in contact with haven’t agreed to such options.

While the optics of eventually forcing homeless people out of a hotel room may be a public relations nightmare, Mohrfeld said he’s more concerned with possible future litigation from advocates preventing such action if better housing options don’t materialize.

“What happens when they don’t have anywhere to go and… (advocates) sue the state and say they can’t move them and then the state’s hands are tied?” said Mohrfeld. “The litigation aspect concerns me a lot.”

Homeless service providers are still trying to connect residents in shelters, motel rooms, and on the street to more permanent housing solutions.

“None of this is stopping our attention from what really resolves homelessness, and we think we will have an opportunity to move folks into permanent housing,” said Emily Halcon, homelessness services coordinator with the city of Sacramento.

What about neighbors of these hotels?

How do neighbors feel about nearby hotels housing dozens of homeless people, some with COVID-19 symptoms? In Orange County, a senior community next to a 138-bed hotel slated to house the homeless protested the arrangement until the county agreed to find another site.

But other than that high-profile example, Mohrfeld said complaints from neighbors have been relatively rare and haven’t interfered much with motels agreeing to leases.

Source: https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2020/apr/10/heres-how-putting-californias-homeless-in-hotels-a/

Pasadena gets $105k to fight coronavirus in homeless community

by USHSAdmin | Apr 7, 2020 | Union Station in the News

By BRADLEY BERMONT | bbermont@scng.com | Pasadena Star-News

Pasadena will soon step up its efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus among the homeless after receiving $105,625 in emergency state funding from Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The money will bolster ongoing efforts from the city to move “individuals who are highly vulnerable off the streets, out of the shelters — wherever they happen to be — and into housing where they can be isolated,” Pasadena’s Director of Housing Bill Huang told the City Council on Monday.

That means moving anyone who’s contracted the virus or been exposed to it into hotels, motels and other housing options. The city has also prioritized the most vulnerable homeless individuals, such as those are 65 years and older or have underlying health conditions, and sought to put them in similar housing.

Thus far, the city has moved 75 people off the streets and out of shelters, Huang said.

“We’re paying their hotel stay everyday,” Huang said in an interview Tuesday. This includes the cost of food, so it costs’s about $100 to $140 per person, per night.

While it’s unclear how much this program will cost in the end — that depends on how long the crisis lasts and how many people officials ultimately house — right now, the city is planning for it to run two to three months. The new state funding covers “only a small part” of the overall price tag, Huang said.

While the most recent homeless count numbers won’t be available for another couple of months, Pasadena counted 542 individuals living on the streets in 2019.

“We continue to move a handful in everyday,” Huang told the council. “We have space for probably a few dozen more.”

It’s a collaboration among Pasadena’s Housing Department, Public Health Department and the nearby Union Station Homeless Services, alongside several other partners, Huang said, but it’s not the only effort the city has taken to curb the virus’ spread among the homeless population.

To those still on the streets, the city has started distributing hygiene kits with large alcohol wipes to help them keep their hands clean. They’ve also setup hand-washing stations at strategic locations, Huang said in an interview.

Pasadena has also partnered with the Shower of Hope, a nonprofit organization, to setup a mobile shower site at the Hill Avenue Branch Library. It’s open every Wednesday and Sunday and typically services about 70 people per week, Huang said.

The city has also committed to help homeless facilities with extra cleaning and “even round-the-clock janitorial service,” Huang said.The city is also filling in the gaps where needed.

For instance, when one permanent supportive housing site had only a two-day supply of toilet paper left, unable to secure anything after weeks of trying, Huang’s department managed to track down a stockpile at the Pasadena Convention Center and got it to the facility.

“It’s toilet paper, but it’s a very, very important thing we’ve been able to facilitate,” he said.

Currently, Pasadena is home to three permanent supportive housing sites with “two more in the pipeline,” Huang said.

“Those aren’t happening because of COVID-19. That’s our normal course of business. We’ve been focused on providing permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless.”

While there’s still work to be done, he believes the results speak for themselves. In 2011, the city had about 1,200 individuals living on the streets. That number had been more than halved by 2019.

Union Station delivers 5K meals to San Gabriel Valley’s neediest amid coronavirus

by USHSAdmin | Apr 6, 2020 | Union Station in the News

By BRADLEY BERMONT | bbermont@scng.com | Pasadena Star-News

The kitchen at Pasadena’s Union Station Homeless Services has never been a quiet place, even before the coronavirus outbreak kicked it into high gear.

The eight-burner stove in the nonprofit’s sole commercial kitchen was already putting out 2,000 meals every week, feeding residents of its bridge housing program.

Now, in the age of coronavirus, the number of meals has more than doubled to 5,000. And they’re getting delivered straight to their client’s doorsteps with refrigerated trucks provided by their partner, the Patina Restaurant Group.

That’s according to Amanda Green, director of operations for the organization, who said deliveries began in earnest on Friday, April 3, when they brought 3,000 meals to 250 people living in permanent supportive housing at Pasadena’s Centennial Place.

That’s four days of three square meals for each client, delivered in two bags filled with to-go boxes of breakfast burritos, turkey wraps and roast beef sandwiches, to name a few.

“The look on peoples’ faces,” Green said, trailing off for a moment. They’re only expecting to get one box of food, she continued, but they open the bag and see three boxes in there. Then she hands the second bag.

“It’s almost a look of disbelief,” she said, recalling some of the people at Centennial Place during Friday’s delivery. “There was such a look of relief and, really, excitement. … It’s incredibly gratifying, and I couldn’t be more proud of the team.”

In the past, many of these people would go to Union Station Homeless Services’ headquarters in Pasadena to get food, but that’s just not possible for them these days, even though the nonprofit is still serving meals there — albeit, in dining space severely reduced by social distancing requirements.

The group’s clients were already living on extremely tight budgets and varying levels of food insecurity. But now, they can’t leave their homes as many are also immuno-compromised or they’re in segments of the population that’s required to self-isolate.

There’s a problem on the horizon, however.

Like everyone else, Green doesn’t know how long this crisis is going to last. And with every passing day, she said the demand for the meal service increases. 

The meal deliveries will continue twice a week to residents in Centennial Place, as well as area motels and other permanent supportive housing residences, but Green suspects the demand could grow significantly in the coming weeks.

“The biggest challenge is really trying to figure out how to scale this up to meet this growing need,” she said. “We know it’s growing, but we don’t know to what extent it’s growing to.”

Union Station Homeless Center is at 412 S. Raymond Ave. in Pasadena. To make a donation, whether it’s a fiscal or food, call 626-240-4550.

If you are suffering from food insecurity or need other assistance, call 211 to connect to the appropriate service. 

Source: https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2020/04/06/union-station-delivers-5k-meals-to-san-gabriel-valleys-neediest-amid-coronavirus/

Pasadena’s Union Station Scales Up Food Services for Homeless to 5,000 Meals a Week, Starting Today

by USHSAdmin | Apr 3, 2020 | Union Station in the News

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, a homeless services organization serving the San Gabriel Valley will scale up its meal preparation and deliveries to serve about 5,000 meals a week beginning Friday.

“Our vulnerable and at-risk clients, living in our bridge housing and supportive housing sites as well as hundreds of our clients staying in motels and apartments, now depend on us for food,” said Anne Miskey, CEO of Union Station Homeless Services.

“With the help of our partners and amazing staff, we have swiftly responded and are delivering meals to their residences across the San Gabriel Valley,” Miskey said. “In this time of crisis, we are showing how we live our core philosophy of meeting our clients `where they are at’ — physically and emotionally.”

On Mondays and Thursdays, staff and volunteers receive, sort and label prepackaged meals into individual grocery bags for each resident, and on Tuesdays and Fridays, two refrigerator delivery trucks, provided by the Patina Restaurant Group, are loaded for deliveries.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the organization served 2,200 meals a week at its facilities with the help of hundreds of volunteers, many who had served dinners or made sack lunches at the facilities for years.

Anyone wishing to donate services or money can find more information at  https://unionstationhs.org/c19urgentneeds.

Source: https://www.pasadenanow.com/main/pasadenas-union-station-scales-up-food-services-for-homeless-to-5000-meals-a-week-starting-today/

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VEGAN PIZZERIA FEEDS 100 HOMELESS CHILDREN AMID COVID-19 CRISIS

by USHSAdmin | Apr 2, 2020 | Union Station in the News

by NICOLE AXWORTHY

The Pizza Plant aims to “Pay it Forward” with its new donation program, which allows customers to purchase a pizza that the company will deliver to Pasadena, CA’s Union Station Homeless Services. 

Los Angeles-based vegan pizzeria The Pizza Plant recently donated 48 frozen vegan pizzas to the Union Station Homeless Services (USHS) in Pasadena, CA, feeding nearly 100 children during the COVID-19 crisis. The donation—which is part of the pizzeria’s Pay It Forward program—was made after The Pizza Plant discovered that the USHS was in desperate need of food due to the city’s shutdown, with many children unable to attend school and be fed lunch. 

The Pay It Forward program allows customers anywhere in the United States to purchase one of The Pizza Plant’s pre-made vegan pizzas online to be delivered by The Pizza Plant to USHS. Each pizza can be cut into six slices and feed up to three children. “As I grow older and ponder the meaning of life, I find myself returning to the same answer,” The Pizza Plant founder Marvin V. Acuna told VegNews. “It’s family, friends, and community. And as we considered how best to support the children of the Pasadena community during this historic and unprecedented time, Union Station Homeless Services emerged as the clear and absolute choice.” 

Earlier this year, The Pizza Plant debuted four organic take-and-bake vegan pizzas at 11 Whole Foods Market locations in California. “Aside from the impact this call to action will have, paying it forward also has several health and social benefits, including that giving makes us feel happy, giving promotes cooperation and social connection, giving evokes gratitude, and giving is contagious,” Acuna said.