by David Andrews

Claremont — the City of Trees and Ph.D.s — is blessed beyond measure. The city is beautiful, with rich infrastructure and deep traditions. The Colleges, the Village, and the natural beauty of the city’s setting all combine to magnificent effect. We have much to be thankful for.

Amidst this abundance, however, many members of our community suffer from food insecurity. This should not be surprising. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some 13.5% of U.S. households were food insecure at some point during 2023 (the last year for which we have reliable statistics). And Claremont is not immune.

Food insecurity means that individuals or families do not have reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food. It is a household-level economic condition that can have serious social consequences.

Fortunately there are a number of organizations in our community — some faith-based, others not — that work to combat food insecurity. All of them do good work. But today I would like to highlight one such organization in particular.

If you’ve been in Claremont for long, you’re probably aware that Newlife Pomona, at 275 E. Foothill Blvd., runs a major food bank on Fridays. In fact, it’s one of the largest food banks in LA County, distributing more than 40,000 pounds of groceries and other essential items each week. This does enormous good for Claremont and surrounding communities.

You may have noticed the long lines of cars we have become accustomed to seeing each Friday headed east on Foothill Boulevard have diminished in recent months. But that’s not because Newlife has dialed back its efforts. Far from it!

Instead, Newlife has adopted a time slot reservation system that allows traffic to be distributed more evenly throughout the day. Of course they still accept clients (walk-up or drive-up) who arrive without a reservation. But the new system has greatly reduced the wait times for clients seeking help.

Newlife has also built a major new food storage facility adjacent to their sanctuary. This new facility, dedicated July 6, will greatly expand Newlife’s capacity to provide refrigerated food to clients alongside shelf-stable goods.

Newlife’s food bank is open to the public on most Fridays from 10:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exceptions include the first Friday of each month, holidays, or when there is heavy rain.

As you can imagine, there is regular need for volunteers to assist with food distribution. There are three Friday shifts for which able-bodied individuals can volunteer. Details are at newlifepomona.com. Just click on the “Ministries” tab, then “Food Bank.” You can also email foodbank@newlifepomona.com or call (909) 593-5000.

Newlife is part of The Foursquare Church – a movement of more than 67,500 churches in over 150 nations around the world — which has a rich tradition of service and community involvement.

I am not a member of Newlife Pomona. On most Sundays you’ll instead find me worshiping at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Base Line Road here in Claremont. But I have attended services at Newlife, volunteered at their food bank, and was present at the dedication of their new refrigerated facility. I can attest that these are wonderful, dedicated people who are doing the Lord’s work here in our community.

If you’re interested in combating food insecurity in Claremont, I urge you to consider volunteering at Newlife. And if that’s not convenient for you, perhaps you could just nod your head or say a silent prayer of gratitude as you pass by their meeting house.

David Andrews is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He serves on the Claremont Interfaith Council as a representative of the Committee on Religious Affairs at The Claremont Colleges.