Central Lutheran Church holds its first “Nourish 2 Flourish” health fair

A line of several hundred people made its way from a parking lot at Victory Boulevard and Tyrone Avenue, down the block, and finally around the corner in Van Nuys on Monday. Men, women and children of different races and backgrounds waited with one thing in common: food insecurity and learning how to stay healthy.

In partnership with organizations including Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Dignity Health and Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, the Central Lutheran Church in Van Nuys held its first “Nourish 2 Flourish” health fair. It took place during the church’s regular Monday free food distribution, giving people a chance to talk to professionals about important healthcare topics, get vaccinations and get their blood pressure checked by nurses.

Rev. Marsha Harris, pastor and administrator of Central Lutheran Church, estimated the church’s weekly food distribution feeds more than 2,000 people who are offered healthy, nutritional food. “Today, we have both our regular food distribution as well as a lot of health items, things that we’re giving out as freebies — ways they can get vaccinations, health checks and all of that,” she said.

The church has been distributing free food since 2019, Harris said. “We went weekly in May of 2020 during the pandemic, and we continue to be committed to serving this community to provide nutritional security.” The church’s food distribution on Mondays draws 550 to 625 households “for food support for their families, because this is a very poor food desert area,” she said.

People with bags and carts made their way in an orderly line, receiving 3 to 5 pounds of protein such as fish or chicken, in addition to vegetables, fruit, beans, rice, bread and canned staples. After receiving their food supplies, they visited the health vendor booths for free healthcare items and advice from professionals.

Danny Tanakul, 75 and disabled, whose only income is Social Security, was grateful for the free groceries. “It’s very good and helpful. I have money but not that much, groceries are up 20 to 30 percent, and eggs used to be $1 a dozen, now it’s $7 to $8 a dozen.” When asked if he could turn to family if the food distribution was unavailable, he said his family was also on a tight budget.

Volunteers worked at a breakneck speed to keep up with the crowd they were there to serve. The volunteers filled bag after bag with food and healthcare items. Many recipients carried their bags home, and some used a cart, giving them another week of not worrying about how they would fend off hunger.

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