LOS ANGELES (April 2026) — On the morning of Saturday, April 25, the Warrior Heritage Foundation (WHF) hosted a food distribution at Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, where veterans, students, and community partners packed and distributed food boxes for more than 100 foster families connected to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
The effort was supported by a $25,000 donation of shelf-stable food from Amazon and carried out with volunteers from the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (MVA) and student groups from the University of Southern California (USC), reflecting a shared commitment to service that extended beyond the veteran community.
“A sense of service is what leads many to join the military,” said Patricia Garza, Operations Director with WHF and lead coordinator for the event. “It’s about continuing to give back after service and finding ways to support other communities in need in a way that brings people together.”
Throughout the morning, volunteers packed hundreds of boxes full of food, loaded them into cars, and handed out coffee and donuts to families as they arrived, offering small comforts alongside essential support. For some, the day was more than service. It was personal.
Jose Jimenez, a Marine Corps veteran and USC student, has legal guardianship of his younger siblings after receiving support through DCFS, giving him a direct connection to the families arriving that morning.
“Seeing these families, that was me at one point in time,” he said. “Being able to serve them and help them out and give them a smile, it’s a real full-circle moment for me, it’s a real blessing.”
He said something as simple as a food box can make a meaningful difference for families navigating multiple challenges.
“It gives us something, one less thing to worry about,” he said. “Because there’s already so many things that are going on in our lives.”
Across the room, volunteers worked side by side, moving boxes and greeting families as they arrived.
“I love service,” said Simone Bent, Veterans Claims Assistant III, MVA. “Service is one of the biggest ways to instill change.” She said what stood out most was the mix of people showing up. “We have individuals who are in school, younger generation. We have older individuals. It’s a collective effort, and it gives me hope.”
She also emphasized the importance of how veterans are understood through that work.
“We’re not a vulnerable population,” Bent said. “We’re strong… we just need a hand up. We need empathy, not sympathy.”
For student volunteers like Tehya Romero, a USC sophomore and Naval ROTC midshipman, the day reinforced her connection to service.
“Everyone says you want to be part of something greater than yourself,” Romero said. “And I think it’s totally true.” She added, “I’m so glad I got to come out and just help out, be part of something greater than myself.”
By the end of the morning, hundreds of boxes had been distributed, but for many, the impact was found in the connections made along the way.
“Being able to do something like this… I’m serving people in my community, and it makes my day a lot better,” Jimenez said.
Story by Ashley Cohen, Public Information Associate, Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
