By Katie Velez
For The Sun
Local youth, Village Bible Academy Leos and Seal Beach Leos, are reaching out to hungry youth in the area through partnering with the Caterina’s Club. They are holding the Pasta Pasta Project food drive and pasta drop-off at Baytown Realty in Seal Beach until Saturday Nov. 21 to help families in need.
Through the Caterina’s Club, the VBA and Seal Beach Leos have created the Pasta Pasta Project as a food drive to aid needy families, especially during through the difficult circumstances COVID-19 has presented. The clubs will collect uncooked pasta and marinara sauce from the drop-off location in Seal Beach at Baytown Realty on 321 Main St., 90740. They welcome all drop-offs any day of the week until Saturday, Nov. 21, at 1 p.m.
Caterina’s club is focused on serving low-income families in Southern California, ensuring that they receive nourishment through warm meals. Cooked through the White House Restaurant in Anaheim, over 4 million meals have already been served to hungry children and families, according to the Caterina’s Club website.
The VBA and Seal Beach Leos, wanting to step in and help their community during this challenging time, have actively been promoting the Pasta Pasta Project. “During this time of uncertainty, it is great to help those in need. I love seeing so many people of all ages reaching out to hungry children in the area through pasta and marinara donations,” said VBA Leo advisor Mrs. Chardy Lang.
On Thursday, Sept. 24, the VBA and Seal Beach Leos participated in a Zoom training meeting for the project, learned how to create compelling flyers, write irresistible news articles, and promote the project on social media. On Saturday, Oct. 17, shortly after holding a flyer contest, the Leo clubs distributed the winner’s flyer, designed by VBA Leo Keana Redfearn, all over Main Street in Seal Beach, explaining the project to local businesses and asking them to hang flyers in their stores. Mrs. Chardy Lang said that the “VBA and Seal Beach Leos, the youth divisions of Seal Beach Lions Club, are reaching out of their comfort zones to impact young lives through this project.”
The VBA and Seal Beach Leo Clubs are comprised of junior high and high school students striving to make a difference in their community through a heart of service and diligence. They are modeled around the International Lion’s Club motto “We Serve” and the acronym Leadership, Experience, and Opportunity. The Leo Clubs are sponsored by Seal Beach Lions Club. For more information visit https://www.sealbeachlions.org/seal-beach-leo-clubs.html and https://vbaleoclub.shutterfly.com/.
Caterina’s Club is centered around providing warm meals, affordable housing, and job assistance for the low-income in Southern California. They feed over 5000 children each day and have helped relocate over 200 families. For more information please visit https://caterinasclub.org/our-story/.
