City employees collected more than 9,500 pounds of non-perishable food in this year’s annual food drive. The food was collected on behalf of the Westside food bank from city employees from all the departments in November and December.
The annual food drive initiated by the Big Blue Bus, pits city departments against each other to see which department can raise the greatest amount of food. The Big Blue Bus coor-dinates the food drive, now in its eighth year, as part of its community service commitment.
As it is every year, competition was fierce among the departments. Departments competed against other city departments of the same size. This year’s winning city departments were, the City Attorney’s Office with 1,140 pounds, the City Manager’s Office with 1,345 pounds and Environmental and Public Works Management with 3,905 pounds. Each department will be recognized with an award.
The Westside Food Bank, which supplies food to more than 65 social service agencies throughout west Los Angeles, reaches more than 70,000 people each year, half of them children. According to the Food Bank, the Big Blue Bus Annual Food Drive campaign is one of the most successful food drives conducted on their behalf.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 30, 2004. Read the original PDF.