Grateful Hearts is a 501(c)3 welfare corporation that has been providing food, hygiene products, household necessities and other emergency items during times of crisis in the city of Los Alamitos for over twenty-one years. We are a community resource center and food bank serving those in need in our community, surrounding communities, and abroad.
We provide food weekly to US Vets, Veterans of America, several Mental Health Facilities, the working poor, and those experiencing times of crisis. Since hearing about the Covid-19 outbreak, Grateful Hearts has resolved to keep its doors open enabling us to continue serving those in need. Recently our regular “Client Choice” style food bank has been replaced by a drive through food distribution program, whereby committed staff and volunteers (wearing both gloves and masks) deliver food directly to client vehicles, placing pre-packed food bags inside the cars.
Our program is need based and handled on an appointment basis 4 days a week. One day a week is dedicated to ancillary agencies and the clients they serve. If you or someone you know is in need of food in our area, you may contact GH by calling us at (562)431-0880 to make an appointment or email us at info@gratefulhearts.org . If those needing food are outside our area, we suggest they visit 221oc.org or text their zip code to 898211 for resources in their area.
Grateful Hearts currently rescues food six days a week from approximately 15 different grocery stores. As a result of people over purchasing since the outbreak, a majority of these stores have little to nothing left over for rescue. What was once excess is now considered
essential. These new “Crisis shopping habits” unfortunately leave the most vulnerable of our population even more at risk, and this is where GH can step in by getting food into the hands of those that truly need it.
Since food rescue is currently uncertain at best, Grateful Hearts has had to look to Senior partner “Second Harvest Food Bank“ of Orange County for supplemental food, especially fresh produce. This food is provided free of charge to Pantry Partners requiring us only to cover trucking delivery fees. GH has been named as one of Second Harvest’s Super Distribution Sites in Orange County, distributing tons of food each and every week.
Due to safety precautions, volunteers are kept to a minimum number each and every day to adhere to social distancing
guidelines provided by the CDC. If you are under 65 years of age and in good health and are interested in volunteering with us, please visit our website at http://www.gratefulhearts.org or call (562)735-0733 for more information.
Additionally, Grateful Hearts recently relocated its new thrift boutique to the corner of Valley View St and Lampson Avenue Garden Grove (Next door to Starbucks) and was slated to open March 17th, 2020, but have been unable to open due to the Virus. We count on this store as our main revenue stream to fund our operations. Fundraisers have also been postponed due to the Virus. For these reasons we rely even more on private and corporate donations and invite everyone to join us in this fight against hunger and insure that none of our neighbors go hungry, ever.
Donations can be made, and GH needs list can be found by visiting http://www.gratefulhearts.org
Thank you
Blair Pietrini
Grateful Hearts
