FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ST. ANDREW’S HOSTS RECORD-BREAKING COMMUNITY PANTRY DRIVE,
PACKING PARTY FOR PROJECT HOPE ALLIANCE
A whopping 10,300+ pounds of food and toiletries collected, sorted, and packed after
monthlong drive
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — (April 2017) — Project Hope Alliance announced today
that St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach collected a record-breaking
10,311 pounds of food and toiletries during its annual community pantry drive for the
Costa Mesa-based nonprofit organization.
In its fourth annual drive for Project Hope Alliance, St. Andrew’s activated its members
and community throughout the month of March by passing out Project Hope Alliance
bags with the request that they be filled and returned by Sunday, March 26, in time for
the packing party, a traditional celebration and culmination of the monthlong effort, from
noon to 3:30 p.m.
The always lively packing party kicked off with lunch and words from Judy Combs, a
member at St. Andrew’s and a longtime Project Hope Alliance donor and Bright Start
Program mentor. Volunteers from St. Andrew’s and Project Hope Alliance of all ages,
from kids to senior citizens, then sorted and packed the more than five tons of
generously donated items.
The astounding numbers are in: 110 volunteers engaged in the packing party, 701 bags
returned, 364 boxes delivered, and 10,311 pounds of food and hygiene items donated.
“We are overwhelmingly grateful for St. Andrew’s unwavering commitment to the kids
and families we serve,” said Jennifer Friend, CEO of Project Hope Alliance. “Together,
our family-focused partnership is transforming the lives of so many local families.”
Donated items from the drive will fill Project Hope Alliance’s community pantry, which
nourishes and supports the children, youth, and families served by the organization.
Offering everything from cereal and baby wipes to notebooks, the pantry does more
than simply offset families’ grocery and school supplies budgets. It adds security by
removing the excruciating decisions made by parents each month, such as filling the
gas tank versus a child’s belly, allowing families to effectively prioritize expenses like
rent and utilities.
In 2015, St. Andrew’s gathered an incredible 3,611 gallons of food (by volume) to fill
Project Hope Alliance’s newly expanded community pantry. In 2016, St. Andrew’s broke
that record with a massive 9,430 pounds of food and toiletries. This year, a new
tremendous record has been set, and another great milestone reached.
“Through St. Andrew’s impactful ‘Extending the Family’ initiative and enduring
investment in our work, they have helped Project Hope Alliance move more than 100
children out of homelessness,” said Friend. “They have surpassed their goal, and we
feel truly blessed to be part of their family.”
For more information, visit www.projecthopealliance.org.
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About Project Hope Alliance
Founded in 1989, Project Hope Alliance is ending the cycle of homelessness in Orange County,
one child at a time. The nonprofit organization supports homeless students and their families,
meeting the unique academic and psychosocial needs of these children via a two-generational
approach targeting innovative Rapid Re-Housing and education programs. Since 2012, Project
Hope Alliance’s Family Stability Program has moved more than 800 children and parents out of
homelessness and into permanent housing with financial independence. Project Hope Alliance
is located at 1954 Placentia Avenue, Suite 202, Costa Mesa, CA 92627. For more information,
contact Jennifer Friend at [email protected] or 949-722-7824, or visit
www.projecthopealliance.org.
About St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church is more than a place. It’s a community. It’s more than a
church building. It’s an adopted family. Following Jesus Christ, the religious organization’s
mission centers on leading lives that reveal God’s Goodness by gathering to worship, building
up followers, and sending out leaders—all through a set of four R.E.A.L. values: relational
ministry, extreme hospitality, all-generations community, and living biblically. St. Andrew’s
Presbyterian Church is located at 600 St. Andrews Road, Newport Beach, CA 92663. For more
information, call 949-631-2880 or visit www.sapres.org.