Since people came to The Valley they’ve planted citrus. The trees just drink up that hot California Sun. I rented a home a bunch of years ago that had a navel orange tree chock full of the best oranges I’d ever had, but we couldn’t eat them or give them away as fast they were dropping and rotting. That is where Food Forward comes in, they collect food that would otherwise be wasted and put it in the hands of those in need.

There is never a shortage of opportunities to volunteer, but sometimes we need one put right in front of us before we act. Here it is. So if you’re looking for a local way to help out and something you can do with the kids, look no further than Food Forward. To date they’ve recovered 1,889,000lbs of food. Don’t worry, they won’t ask you to carry it all by yourself.

You’ll want to click here to go to their site and choose what to sign up for, they have many projects available. If you’re going to bring the kids make sure the event you sign on to help with allows kids their age.

If your kid has a need to do a youth service project, Food Forward can be an interesting way for them to do so. No matter what brings you to help, it sends a great message to our kids to get out there, even if it’s just once in a while, to help those less fortunate.