Over 500 Low-income Families In Pacoima To Receive Help From Sikh Community This Holiday Season

LOS ANGELES - Dec. 6, 2015 - PRLog -- More than 500 low-income families in Pacoima will receive help this season at a Holiday Community Food Drive hosted by Khalsa Care Foundation (KCF), a Sikh-American non-profit organization that provides community services for children, youth and adults, and sustains the social vitality and cultural vibrancy of the Sikh American heritage.

         The event will take place on Saturday, December 19, 2015 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Sikh Temple or gurdwara, which is located at 9989 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331.During the event, which will include a warm vegetarian meal, giveaways, games and a raffle, organizers and volunteers will distribute free bags of food, toiletries and amenities, clothes, toys and more to the hundreds of families gathered.

         “We are excited to host this event each year for local families in need,” said Surinder Singh, member of the Sikh community and KCF secretary. “We have a food drive at our temple every Friday, but this event is our largest because it draws hundreds of families,” he added.

         According to the 2010 Census, roughly 17% of households in Pacoima are at or below the poverty level. A recent study by The Center for Southern California Studies at California State University, Northridge, showed that the proportion of families living at or below the poverty level remains extremely high in the Northeast San Fernando Valley with Pacoima exceeding countywide averages.

         The Sikh American community holds as one of its core tenets the importance of selfless community service. In the past it has provided food and needed items to the Fred Jordan Mission on Skid Row, but in recent years the Sikh community has looked to support local families and neighbors in Pacoima through a holiday community event at its Sikh temple or gurdwara as part of “seva,” selfless service to others. Sikhism is the world’s fifth largest religion with more than 20 million followers around the world.

         “This event gives us an opportunity to do something positive for our neighbors, to get to know them and so that they can get to know us. We work in partnership with local schools to support our community and help local families,” added Singh. “

For more information about the Khalsa Care Foundation’s Holiday Community Food Drive in Pacoima contact Evelyn G. Aleman at (818) 881-7976 (Office), (818) 943-2481 (Cell) or via e-mail at evelyn@mipr.net.

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About Khalsa Care Foundation (KCF)

The Khalsa Care Foundation (KCF) provides community services to children, youth and adults through self-enhancing activities that make a positive impact in their lives and in the lives of others. Its mission is to sustain the social vitality and cultural vibrancy of the Sikh American heritage by strengthening family life, uplifting human services, and honoring the legacy of Sikh immigration to the United States. KCF promotes awareness and understanding of Sikh traditions and values; organizes the celebration of major Sikh events; makes Sikh theology and history accessible; improves and strengthens the family and community by providing opportunities for individuals to volunteer in community services; ferments leadership training within Sikh youth that is based on the core Sikh tenets of democracy, mutual respect and selfless community service; and creates and fosters a positive and accurate image of Sikhs in the media.