*Doing together what we cannot do alone | | |
Dear Friend,
In addition to being a place where folks can get groceries each week, our Food Pantry is a key entry point for volunteers, especially the youth in our community. When Maya, an 8th grader at Polytechnic School, signed up for a weekly service block at Friends In Deed, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Every Thursday for a semester, she and her classmates rolled up their sleeves, sorting donations, packing bags, and helping create a welcoming space for the nearly 700 households we serve each week.
As the program wrapped up, Maya said something we won’t soon forget: “This has been my favorite class in all three years I’ve been at Poly. I want to come back and volunteer as soon as I can.”
Her words are a powerful reminder that the impact of our work extends beyond the families we serve; it also shapes the hearts of young people and their understanding of building community based on compassion and dignity. Kudos to Tim, Eva, Kristina, and Kevin for creating an amazing environment where young people can learn valuable lessons and have fun while doing so!
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We’re just over a week away from Cooking for a Cause, our fundraiser where every dollar raised will directly support the Friends In Deed Food Pantry. Sponsorships are still available, and tickets are going fast, so sign up now! Our teams and judges are set, the energy is rising, and you don’t want to miss this special evening.
Can’t make it to Cooking for a Cause? You can still be part of the action! Watch the event in real-time via livestream on Facebook and YouTube.
Or join our $10,000 Crowdfunding Challenge! Every $63 feeds a family of four for a week, so your gift goes straight from pantry to plate.
Finally, Monday evening begins Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and the beginning of the High Holy Days. For all of those celebrating, I wish you a shana tovah, a happy and healthy new year!
Blessings and have a lovely weekend,
Rabbi Joshua
| | We can only operate with your help! | | |
In the latest podcast episode, Rabbi Joshua sits down with Pasadena Housing Department’s Homelessness Coordinator, Jenni O-Reilly Jones, to unpack the latest results from the 2024 Annual Homeless Count and the 2025 Point in Time Count.
Listen now.
| | | | The competition is HEATING UP! | Meet the six incredible chefs who will go head-to-head at Cooking for a Cause 2025 at Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery on Monday, September 29th...Read more. | | | | Meet the Cooking for a Cause judges | Every great showdown needs a panel of experts, and we’ve got an all-star lineup ready to taste, test, and tally at Cooking for a Cause 2025...Read more. | | | | Looks like one of our mysterious little ducks has made a friend | The culprit behind these tiny figurines popping up at the Friends In Deed offices is still at large...Read more. | |
Cooking for a Cause is just over a week away!
Join us on Monday, September 29th, for the culinary showdown of the year and shed a light on real food insecurity issues our community faces.
Purchase tickets or become a sponsor. All proceeds support the Friends In Deed Food Pantry.
Learn more.
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We've reached the 30% mark!
Will you help us achieve our $10K goal?
Please join our Crowdfunding Challenge to raise critical funds for the Friends In Deed Food Pantry.
Donate today!
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Save the Date!
Golfing for Good returns this fall to the Brookside Golf Club. Join us on Monday, November 3, 2025, for a purpose-driven par-tee that changes lives.
Learn more.
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We're Hiring!
Friends In Deed is seeking a Director of Street Outreach & Housing to lead our dedicated team serving neighbors experiencing homelessness.
Apply today!
| | Our Bonfire Shop is Open! | | |
We now have a print-on-demand shop where you can purchase Friends In Deed t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags.
A small portion of the proceeds will go back to Friends In Deed!
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At Friends In Deed, we honor the dignity and privacy of every person we serve. The stories we share are real, but sometimes, we change names or minor details or use stock photos to protect our clients’ identities. Thanks for your compassion, understanding, and support.
Friends In Deed is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We embrace and celebrate the spectrum of our employees’, volunteers’, and clients’ ages, color, ability or disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, neurodiversity, and other characteristics that make our employees, volunteers, and clients unique.
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