How This Clorox Teammate is Helping to Fight Hunger with Westside Food Bank
By Nichelle Rachal, Associate Director, Community Relations
Doing good and giving back are not just catch phrases for us — they’re core to who we are. Recently, we spoke with Los Angeles-based teammate Renu Mevasse, who’s making an impact fighting hunger in her community through her commitment to her local food bank.
How long have you been involved with Westside Food Bank, and what motivates you to continue volunteering with them?
I have been volunteering with Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District x Westside Food Bank through the Weekend Bag Program for the past 10 years and recently started volunteering directly with the Westside Food Bank this year.
I continue to volunteer with them because I see the direct impact the program makes to the kids and families in our community. Each week during the school year, SMMUSD x Westside Food Bank provides food to families, especially on the weekends, to help supplement nutritional gaps. And during the summer, the food bank continues to support these families when school is not in session.
What impact have you seen from the food bank’s efforts in the community, and how do you feel being part of this initiative?
Did you know that 1 in 5 American children is food insecure? While almost 30 million students in the U.S. receive free or reduced-priced meals during the school year, when school lets out for summer break, millions of these kids go hungry. In Los Angeles County specifically, that equates to 1 in 4 households with kids. Westside Food Bank serves LA county, so I believe that our collective efforts help in some small way.
Can you share a memorable experience from your volunteering efforts?
In June, I volunteered with fellow LA-based Clorox teammates to pack meal kits for kids. School-provided meal programs are often the only consistent source of nutrition for students, so summer is a critical time for food insecurity. We stepped away from our desks for a few hours and packed more than 250 meal kits. As a bonus, it gave us the opportunity to get to know each other better!
How has your experience on The Clorox Company Foundation board of trustees influenced your approach to community service?
I joined the board of trustees because I believe in the mission and giving back to our communities, especially in smaller and more personal ways. Being involved in my community brings a greater purpose and balance to my life. I also love being on the board because it gives me a better appreciation for all the ways each one of us can give back.
How do you balance your volunteer work with your professional responsibilities?
I am passionate about helping families (especially children) overcome food insecurity, but with a busy work and family life, I wanted a consistent opportunity that I could stick with. The great thing about SMMUSD and the Westside Food Bank is that I can volunteer for an hour a week delivering weekend food bags to the different schools while on my way to and from picking up my own kids. Or I can take advantage of Summer Fridays and take a half day to volunteer with friends, family or coworkers. The key to volunteering is to find something that you are passionate about and then take one small action. Sometimes that’s all the time you have. But even that small action can make a big impact in someone else’s life!
