Employees Donate Food and Supplies to West LA Residential Care and Assisted Living Residents During Pandemic

Employees of Southern California Hospital at Culver City are giving back to the communities during the COVID-19 crisis, delivering bags of food and supplies to the 20 residential care and assisted living facilities. These facilities are vulnerable to shortages of food and household supplies due supply chain challenges and quantity restrictions at grocery stores.

The supplies are distributed each week and provide much-needed food and paper goods to vulnerable residents in West Los Angeles.

“Residential care facilities have been overlooked during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said hospital CEO Michael Klepin. “These facilities house those who are primarily elderly, developmentally disabled or mentally disordered. As long-term partners, we want to find ways to support their residents.”

The hospitals’ care coordinators comb stores to search for food, paper towel, toilet paper and other items. “Because stores limit the number of much-needed resources, by having several of us shopping, we can purchase the amount needed for these residents,” said Kathren Alkasspooles, vice president of business development. She added that the items are then sorted and distributed by the care coordinators and sent to the facilities via Uber.

“Donating to these facilities takes on a different meaning when you know that your contribution may be one of the only ways the facility gets these crucial items,” said Alkasspooles.

Typical care packages include water, milk, eggs, bread, canned goods, soup, canned milk, peanut butter and jelly and dry food items, as well as sanitizer, gloves, paper towels, soaps, wipes, bleach and toilet paper.

Anyone who wants to make a donation to this effort can drop off food and supply donations at Southern California Hospital in Culver City can call (310) 836-7000 ext. 6728 to arrange for a pick-up.