The Armenian National Committee of Hollywood, in partnership with the Armenian Student Association at UCLA, the Bravo Medical Magnet High School Armenian Student Association, and the Hollywood Chapters of the Armenian Youth Federation, the Armenian Relief Society, and Homenetmen, is hosting its first Holiday Food Drive through December 23 in the spirit of the Christmas season. “We wish to raise a little bit of holiday cheer and bring families of the Hollywood community together with this food drive,” said ANC-Hollywood volunteer, Sona Gichyan. “[I]t actually feels really good to give back to a community we grew up in.” “We began this project with a simple dedication to provide families in need with food. Since then, we have seen so many community members try their best to help us collect food, and their efforts have only encouraged us to try harder and do more,” said Hayk Stepanyan, another ANC-Hollywood volunteer. The ANC-Hollywood has been grateful for the active participation of quite an unprecedented number of community organizations in this project. “Not only have we received donations from university organizations like the UCLA and USC Armenian Student Associations, but from local Hollywood businesses like Zeytun Grocery & Deli and Carousel Restaurant as well as non-Armenian community members such as the Rotary Club of Thai Town. Such caring, diversified, and active engagement on the part of our community is what a collaborative effort should look like,” said ANC-Hollywood board member, Srbui Karapetian. The ANC-Hollywood volunteers will distribute these food donations from to low-income families in the Hollywood community. In the meantime, the team calls on the community to continue donating to the cause one “can” at a time. For more information about the Holiday Food Drive you may contact the ANC-Hollywood by phone at (323) 642-8561, or via email at hollywood@ancawr.org. Below you can find a list of drop-off locations and needed food items. The ANC-Hollywood Chapter promotes greater understanding of issues of concern to the area’s Armenian American community and strives to increase Armenian American civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels.   Drop-off locations and needed items: Anyone near the Hollywood neighborhood is encouraged to take part in the season of giving and drop off nonperishable food items in one of the remaining food donation drop off locations, where a festively colored box has been placed: – St. John Armenian Church (1201 North Vine St., Hollywood, CA 90038) – Rose and Alex Pilibos Preschool (1611 N. Kenmore Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027) – ANCA-Western Region Office (104 N. Belmont St. Second Floor, Glendale, CA 91205) – Armenian Youth Center of Hollywood (1559 N. Kenmore St., Los Angeles, CA 90027) – Panos Pastry (5150 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90027) – Taslakian Market (4906 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90029) – Sedrak’s Produce (1045 N. Edgemont St., Hollywood, CA 90029)   Donations from the following food groups are welcome: – Fruits and Vegetables: canned vegetables, vegetable juice, diced tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, canned fruit, fruit juice, dried fruit – Protein: canned tuna, canned salmon, canned chicken, canned bean soup, canned baked beans, dried and canned beans/peas, canned chili, canned beef stew, peanut butter, nuts – Grains: oatmeal, whole grain crackers, all types of pasta, cereal, cream of wheat, whole grain rice – Oils: corn, olive, vegetables  

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