Church of Scientology Weekly Food Drive With a Special Holiday Touch

Each week, in response to food insecurity of many L.A. families, Scientology Volunteer Ministers hold a food drive. But last week’s had a special holiday flavor.

Three hundred boxes of Thanksgiving dinners with a turkey and all the fixings filled the tables under the bright yellow tents of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers last weekend when the Church of Scientology Los Angeles held its second annual Turkey Drive. As a reminder that the holiday season is upon us, there was ice skating for the kids, and complimentary cocoa and cookies throughout the day.

According to the California Association of Food Banks, before the pandemic, more than 15 percent of households with children suffered food insecurity and this nearly doubled in the early days of the pandemic. But the problem is still with us. A recent USC study found 24 percent of Los Angeles County households, some 800,000 in all, experienced food insecurity over the 12 months ending July 2022, up from 17 percent in 2021.

For the past 26 weeks, each Saturday, the Los Angeles Church of Scientology has held drive-thru food distributions from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (or until the food is gone). All are welcome to come for a box or bag of nutritious food at no cost. With food prices increasing 10.9 percent in the past year per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some food banks report even more need for food now than during the height of the pandemic.

Food drives at the Church of Scientology are held in partnership with local nonprofits including the Guatemalan Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles Community Alliance, Ombudsman International, World Harvest Food Bank, and Lighthouse International.

Visitors drive or walk into the parking lot of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles at 4810 Sunset Blvd. and pick up their food boxes or have them loaded into their cars. Groceries include milk, vegetables, fruit and durable staples.

“We urge local families to avail themselves of this service,” says Susanna Kaneer, public affairs director for the Scientology Churches of Greater Los Angeles.

The iconic headquarters of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles was dedicated by Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige in 2010. It is designed to provide the ideal facilities for Scientologists on their ascent to higher states of spiritual freedom and to serve as a home for the entire community and a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift people of all denominations.

To learn more, visit the website of the Church of Scientology Los Angeles, or watch Inside a Church of Scientology on the Scientology Network on DIRECTV channel 320 at Scientology.tv, through mobile apps, or via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.