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Advocacy

Hope-Net’s Role

Approximately 31% of the residents (about 170,000 persons) in Hope-Nets’ 13 primary service zip codes live in poverty. This compares to a poverty rate of 18% for Los Angeles County as a whole and 12% for the nation.

Though Hope-Net’s mission principally focuses on meeting daily, basic and emergency food needs, its participating congregations offer a variety of other services. These include a Resource Directory for other social services, 12-step and substance abuse programs, ESL and citizenship classes, health programs, youth education and arts programs and other services.

Hope-Net’s advocacy role means not only serving those in need but also working for systemic changes where possible. Hope-Net personnel speak to various community, civic and religious groups to increase awareness of the significant food insecurity problem in our local area. Hope-Net is committed to voicing the needs of our neighbors to those who can make a difference.

Hope-Net also works with other agencies to meet the broad and fundamental needs of those around us. It works with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to ensure that adequate and nutritiously acceptable foods are available for our clients in need.

For several years, Hope-Net has worked with and received funding from MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger to set community priorities and perform advocacy. MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is one of the largest privately supported philanthropic organizations addressing hunger in America. MAZON (Hebrew word for “food”) is not a foundation, but offers grants from the contributions from American Jews who donate 3% of the cost of their life-cycle celebrations and other appeals in service of the poor. Each year, usually in November, Hope-Net participates in the MAZON sponsored state-wide conference on hunger that brings together advocates and legislators to wrestle with hunger issues in California and passing legislation to meet these needs.

MAZON has also been a member of the National Anti-Hunger Organizations (NAHO) which has recently published its work A Blueprint to End Hunger.

Hope-Net also works with the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness (LACEHH) in addressing more local needs. Together we participate with other agencies in supporting “Hunger Action Day”, usually in May or June. This event, sponsored by the California Hunger Action Coalition is a day of legislative visits and briefings on current state hunger issues, as well as testimony from grassroots groups on relevant issues and needs.