Drive-thru food pantry in Southern California food desert provides consistent source of groceries for thousands: “It’s a labor of love”

It might just be the longest drive-thru line in Southern California.

But when these drivers pull up to the front, there is no window, fast food or even cashiers.

Instead, each car is greeted by a troop of volunteers, efficiently placing packages of fresh produce and two weeks’ worth of groceries in the trunk – all for free.

This is Seva Collective’s food pantry in Santa Ana, California, a food desert – a geographic area where residents struggle to have consistent access to nutritious food.

Born at a crucial time of need at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, this organization began as a scrappy operation – a handful of volunteers, food and toys purchased by the organizers themselves, and a dream to help a community facing food insecurity. .

“When we started, we were driving to the food market in downtown Los Angeles, we were driving to central California to buy citrus — we were all over the place,” said Seva Collective founder Bandana Singh.

Four million meals later, the Seva Collective has continued to grow, bringing in new volunteers, partnering with food banks, businesses and farms, and organizing special toy and clothing drives.

“Our goal is to bring fresh food, as well as long-lasting food, to the car or cart of every family that passes by on the road,” said Singh. “We have cars lined up at three or four in the morning – we only start the journey at 9:30. So for us as a team of volunteers, it tells us that the need is there and that we want to do whatever it is. we can.”

The initiative has become a community staple that nearby residents depend on month after month to feed their families, said longtime beneficiary Jody Watts.

“It takes away the feeling of dread and anxiety of not having enough food to feed your family,” Watts said.

While many, like Watts, have been coming to the pantry for years, each month brings new faces, like Laura Castro, who heard about Seva Collective at her children’s school.

“Since I have five children, this is helping me,” Castro said. “I hope my children [leave here] with a big smile on my face.”

While its primary goal is to feed people in need, Seva Collective places an emphasis on delivering fresh produce and unprocessed foods to those in line to encourage healthy habits and slow systemic health problems in this food desert community, he said. Singh.

Food desserts are more common in Black and brown communities and low-income areas, and they often have an overabundance of fast food chains and corner stores that sell processed foods high in fat, sugar and salt, according to the report. Food Empowerment Project.

“We know that if they don’t eat fresh food, they will eat junk and that is a systemic problem that leads to health problems in the future,” Singh said. “So taking small steps now can help future generations and everyone’s health as they age.”

Although the volunteers and beneficiaries come from very different backgrounds, the founders’ Sikh faith inspired the creation of the organization.

The name “Seva” comes from the concept of selfless service in the Sikh faith. And its slogan, “Sarbat da Bhalla”, is a prayer for all humanity to prosper and inspires Sikhs to do good for all.

And that’s exactly what this group is doing.

Every month, Coletivo Seva distributes 60 thousand kilos of food to more than 1,200 families.

In its most recent campaign, the organization also distributed toys, books and clothing, in partnership with brands like Young LA.

The special gift bags were given out in celebration of Vaisakhi, one of the days of the year with the greatest religious significance for Sikhs. It marks the birth of the Khalsa Panth and the recognition of Sikhs as a formal faith and community.

“We are celebrating Vaisakhi, which is when we became the collective that we are, and so we want to share this with the community. We want everyone to be able to celebrate with us,” said Kaur.

In addition to providing food, toys and other essential goods, the organization conveyed the spirit of giving back. Watts, who has even volunteered at Seva Collective, said she tries to use what she earns from the campaign to feed others in her community.

“It made me feel like I could give back,” Watts said. “I would never have had the means to help anyone. I was recently disabled and having extra food – and I love cooking – made me available to go to my neighborhood and feed them to the homeless.”

“If there’s something we don’t use, we give it to someone else too,” said another beneficiary, Charlene. “We try to help our neighbors.”

What is perhaps most notable about the entire operation are the volunteers who show up before sunrise, and days in advance, to make this campaign happen – for nothing in return. More than 500 unique volunteers have shown up to help over the years – rain or shine.

“It’s a labor of love, but I know when you see the cars, the number of cars and the number of people in line…it’s making an impact, a positive impact on the community,” said William Tarango, a teacher who volunteered with Seva Collective for three and a half years. “It’s good to be around people who just want to serve, who just want to help.”

For some volunteers, like Shilpa Chitoori, arriving early to prepare for the trip and interact with others who work there is energizing.

“It’s a form of meditation for me because being among this whole group of amazing people and working here, you know, what better way to spend a Saturday morning than this,” Chitoori said.

Marsha Mehta, who has been bringing her children to volunteer at campaigns since the pandemic, says that while the pantry helps those in line, it has also had a lasting impact on the way her children see the world.

“The first time we came, my oldest son was here during COVID and saw how grateful everyone was to go through the food lines, and that really impressed him,” Mehta said. “I think that’s a really important thing to do.”

Singh says this initiative has given him the opportunity to feel gratitude and humility, adding that none of this would be possible without the army volunteers who choose to spend their Saturday mornings filling each trunk with food.

“I feel lucky to work with these types of people year-round, and I feel blessed that we can help coming out families,” Singh said. “There are so many emotions.”