” ‘You are not alone!’ Support Life Foundation mobilizes largest effort in the Bay Area targeting Food Security for at-risk communities during COVID-19 Crisis.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, April 24, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — “You are not alone!” Support Life Foundation mobilizes largest effort in the Bay Area targeting Food Security for at-risk communities during COVID-19 Crisis.
The Support Life Foundation with the support of national and regional organizations such as Islamic Relief USA, Muslim Community Center of Pleasanton, San Ramon Valley Islamic Center, Yaseen Foundation, and Moonlight Humanity Foundation bring together hundreds of volunteers to lead a regional Covid-19 Food & Essentials Care Package Initiative called “You are not alone!”. Salah Elbakri, the Executive Director of the Support Life Foundation says, “This is a humanitarian project, poverty knows no race or religion. No organization alone can do this on their own. We have over 30 distribution centers, non-profits, and houses of worship participating in this program; more than 230 volunteers who make this possible. We purchased over 42,000 pounds of food staples, toiletries, and personal protective equipment to distribute to families in dire need because of this pandemic.”
What’s inside? Each 70+ lbs box has enough food staples and personal protective equipment to support a family of 4 for a month. Basics like flour, pasta, oil, sugar, canned foods, beans, and lentils; toiletries like soap, toothpaste, toilet paper; and PPE such as disposable masks. “One of the difficulties was the lack of essentials in stores; we’ve spent the last ten days tracking everything down and negotiating with suppliers.”, explains Elbakri.
A vital aspect of this program is that volunteers will hand-deliver these packages to people’s homes. “We want to preserve the dignity of those who have become instantly impoverished and are not used to asking for help. No family wants to receive donations, but this is not a normal situation.”, says Elbakri. As people accumulate debt and wait for government aid to help them stay afloat, it becomes a precarious emotional and financial situation with everyone’s health at risk. “We want them to know,‘You are not alone!’”.
The packaging and distribution officially starts Saturday, April 25th, 11:30 AM at San Ramon Valley Islamic Center located at 2232 Camino Ramon,San Ramon,CA. While the center is closed to the general public due to Covid-19, it serves as the base of operation for this initiative as volunteers observe social distancing rules and personal protective measures.”