Leadership Manhattan Beach Transforms Richstone Food Pantry
May 22, 2023 05:52AM ● By Mb News Staff
Single Mom Project founder Janet Jones cuts a ribbon for the food pantry at the Richstone Family Center.
The Leadership Manhattan Beach Class of 2023 has officially opened this year's class project: the transformation of a food pantry for single-parent families at the Richstone Family Center in Hawthorne.
The food pantry represents a partnership with Leadership Manhattan Beach, the Richstone Family Center, Trader Joe’s, and the Single Mom
Project.
The project has increased the number of families the facility can serve weekly
to 50
single parent families, more
than double the number currently
served. The pantry will provide storage space for both perishable and non-perishable foods and other meal preparation items.
Leadership Manhattan Beach also donated six scholarships for Richstone representatives to become FEAST Certified Health Educators who will host 15-week seminars at the Richstone Family Center on the nutritional, financial and psychological importance of healthy eating.
Food Pantry Expansion was Collaborative Effort
The food pantry expansion involved collaboration between several local entities.
The Richstone Family Center is a nonprofit that is dedicated to treating and preventing child abuse and trauma; strengthening and educating families; and preventing violence in families, schools, and communities.
The Single Mom Project was created in 2020 by Manhattan Beach's Janet Jones, along with her (now grown) sons. The Single Mom Project has partnered with the Richstone Family Center to give cash grants to low-income,
hard-working single mothers whose families are clients at Richstone.
Leadership Manhattan Beach has helped create civic awareness and leadership opportunities in Manhattan Beach since 1991. In
addition to providing each class access and interaction with the various
governmental departments of the city, each year the
group designs
and executes
a capstone
project to
enhance the
area.
Past Leadership Manhattan Beach projects have included a community mural painting, refurbishing the Manhattan Beach Santa Float, installing bicycle fix-it stations, and equipping Manhattan Beach Police Department vehicles and strategic
businesses throughout the community with Automated External Defibrillators.