"I'm hungry." These words have a very different meaning in my home than in the homes of the clients we serve at West Valley Community Services.
As a partner of Second Harvest Food Bank, WVCS helps to put food on the table of those who are in need.
Together with other emergency assistance agencies like Sunnyvale Community Services, St. Joseph Family Center and Mountain View CSA, we ensure that the entire county is able to access food, resources to shelter and other basic needs to prevent hunger and homelessness.
My three active and growing teens constantly say "I'm hungry" even after generous servings at dinner. Amazed at how much they can eat, it gives me a sense of satisfaction that as a parent I am more than able to fill this very basic need.
How painful it would be to hear "I'm hungry," if I were unable to provide them food. One in 10 parents in our valley will hear those words and will not be able to provide the food that their children need. We see those families every day at WVCS.
Through the generous donations of food, funds and volunteer time, we can work to ensure that the words "I'm hungry" becomes a "want" instead of a "need."
We thank you for your support these past 39 years. As we reach our milestone next year of 40 years of service, we continue to ask you for your support and partnership so that no one's table is empty.
Happy Holidays!
—By Naomi N. Nakano-Matsumoto, executive director of West Valley Community Services
Letter to the Editor: Help West Valley Community Services Fight Hunger
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Crystal Tai May 1, 2011 at 06:28 pm
Thank you very much for you kind words, Priyanka! The answer to your question is in another article…Read More I wrote for Cupertino Patch, "Five Wedding Reception Venues in Cupertino." Thanks again!
Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar April 27, 2011 at 08:21 pm
This is definitely very useful for the those of us who aren't Chinese, but do have Chinese friends..…Read More Thank you, Crystal. What are the popular spots in Cupertino for Chinese weddings?
Anne Ernst (Editor) April 3, 2013 at 12:59 pm
It's difficult to know what's going on in a kid's mind unless they feel confident enough to open up…Read More and talk. And this program helps us adults to learn to listen differently.
Debbie Reiley April 3, 2013 at 03:50 am
I too was at this Challenge Day. It was my 6th. I first volunteered because I watched the program…Read More on MTV "If You Really Knew Me" when my son was being severely bullied in middle school and saw the program was offered when he was a freshman in high school. My company strongly supports me volunteering for this and allows me to take the day off work to attend. I am continually humbled by what these teens share and saddened at what some of them have experienced in their short lives. This program is so valuable. I think every school should offer it and every parent should attend. It helps us to realize that we need to think twice before we judge or assume things about others when we know nothing about them. It is the volunteering opportunity that I look forward to participating in every year.
Anne Ernst (Editor) March 30, 2013 at 06:30 am
Carrie,
Thanks for allowing me to be a part of it again.
Loy Oppus-Moe March 28, 2013 at 02:40 pm
A big "Thank You" to Anne, Pete, and 53 other professionals who opened up their companies…Read More and organizations to give our students hands-on experience of what life might look like for them post-high school. Job Shadowing brings relevance to education!