MEND’s Annual Christmas Program 2011
12/17/2011
LIBERTY Dental Plan lends a helping hand at MEND’s Annual Christmas Program (Meet Each Need with Dignity)
Irvine, CA - December 27, 2011 – On December 17th and 18th LIBERTY Dental Plan (LIBERTY) volunteers celebrated the spirit of the Holidays in Pacoima, California by helping members of the community at MEND’s Annual Christmas Program.
MEND - Meet Each Need with Dignity, a volunteer-based organization, utilizes more than 3,200 volunteers to implement its vast array of programs that provide food and clothing; medical, dental and vision care. LIBERTY Dental Plan provided MEND’s Dental Clinic with much needed basic necessities such as adult and children’s toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss. LIBERTY Dental Plan volunteers provided assistance in MEND’s food bank, sorting clothes, and escorting families to the different stations in the building. Volunteers in the food bank had the opportunity to put together “food baskets” for the families in the program. Each basket contained a turkey, canned goods, bread, yogurt and fresh produce. Other volunteers escorted families to the different toy and clothing stations. “With dignity and respect, powered by volunteers, MEND’s mission is to break the bonds of poverty by providing basic human needs and a pathway to self-reliance,” LIBERTY Dental Plan is proud to support MEND’s mission through community engagement, volunteer participation and corporate responsibility.
About MEND - In the early 1970's, MEND opened its doors in an effort to transform the lives of the neediest residents of the San Fernando Valley - poor children and their struggling families. Starting as a small group of volunteers working from a garage, MEND has grown primarily by word-of-mouth into one of the leanest operating non-profit organizations in existence. More than 91% of the support and donations received by MEND, now the largest poverty agency in the Valley, provides emergency food, clothing, medical, vision and dental care, job skills training and job placement assistance, English as a Second Language classes, youth activities, and a Christmas program. In 2010, MEND served as many as 32,000 individuals per month.
Each month, more than 12,970 hours are donated by volunteers from a broad range of backgrounds and income levels; all joining together to act as people helping people. Each person plays a vital role in meeting the mission of MEND. From the distribution of food, clothing to assistance in job training and placement, volunteers give MEND life.