Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Visits JFS SOVA Food Pantry
On January 21st, Mr. Douglas Emhoff, the Second Gentleman of the United States, met with volunteers at the JFS SOVA Community Food & Resource Program food pantry in Van Nuys. During his visit, Mr. Emhoff spoke with volunteers and helped pack groceries for SOVA clients.
For Mr. Emhoff, a Los Angeles native with deep roots in the Valley, the visit to SOVA felt like a homecoming. The Second Gentleman returned to Los Angeles for the weekend with Vice President Harris, who was in San Bernardino to announce $600 million in federal dollars to restore damage from wildfires that have burned millions of acres in California since 2020.
Mr. Emhoff’s visit to SOVA came immediately after the hostage crisis at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, and reflected his commitment to community service as well as combatting anti-Semitism. A visit from the first Jewish spouse of an American president or vice president was momentous for JFS. “It’s a huge barrier to have broken,” said Nancy Volpert, JFS Senior Director of Public Policy and Community Engagement. “Vice President Harris cracked a huge glass ceiling, which as someone who is a Californian and who has watched her and been represented by her, that’s incredibly exciting. But she and Mr. Emhoff both made cracks in ceilings that I don’t think all of us were sure would happen.”
Mr. Emhoff spent his afternoon learning from volunteers why they commit their time to serve others. The volunteer group was comprised of AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP volunteers and AmeriCorps VISTA members, in partnership with L.A. Works. He learned first-hand the important role that volunteers play for Jewish Family Service LA. “The pandemic has made life harder for our clients and has made our services more necessary than ever for so many people in Los Angeles who are feeling the economic and mental health consequences,” said Jewish Family Service LA President & CEO Eli Veitzer. “Through it all, many volunteers have found ways to continue their good work and have helped connect people to a community of support and hope when they need it most. The success of our vital work depends on the heartfelt commitments of our family of volunteers, and we are truly grateful for them.”
For more than 40 years, Jewish Family Service LA’s SOVA Community Food & Resource Program has been a critical resource for people in Los Angeles who are hungry. SOVA provides free and nutritious groceries, counseling and case management, and connection to community resources. Throughout the pandemic, SOVA rapidly transitioned and expanded its services, providing food to more than 5,800 people each month, bringing groceries to the doors over 1,300 home-bound older and disabled adults each month, and delivering phone and video access to multilingual social workers for benefit enrollment and other critical needs.
