LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) announced today that this week they will partner with Helping Hands Community to deliver 22,000 meals directly to the homes of 400 families in Inglewood and Hawthorne currently registered in their Dodgers RBI sports-based youth development program. LADF continues to address the needs of communities suffering the most support during this pandemic, as outlined by their COVID-19 Needs Assessment.

Helping Hands Community is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving those most vulnerable to COVID-19: senior citizens, the immunocompromised, and people with pre-existing medical conditions which put them at additional risk. Volunteers deliver meals, groceries, medicine, and other necessary supplies to empower everyone to stay healthy and be as responsible as possible.

“As COVID-19 cases spike across LA County, we cannot ignore the compounding issue of food insecurity affecting many of our most vulnerable community members,” said Jeff Miller, CEO and co-founder of Helping Hands Community. “We are proud to bridge the Helping Hands Community last-mile delivery platform with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation; and, through our partnership to enable food delivery to thousands of families who cannot safely and reliably access groceries during the pandemic.”

From loss of household income to the loss of positive social environments for their kids, families shared that their needs are vast and vary across neighborhoods. The food deliveries consisting of dairy, fruit and vegetable boxes will focus on supporting families residing in smaller school districts.

“Through our COVID-19 needs assessment, we learned that 59% of families are experiencing a decrease of income due to the pandemic and families are concerned for the social, emotional, physical, and mental wellness of their children,” said Tiffany Rubin, LADF Director of Youth Programs. “With over 80% of our Dodgers RBI youth eligible for free and reduced lunch at their schools, families rely on school-based food programs. With Helping Hands Community, we are focusing on our Dodgers RBI youth in smaller school districts like Inglewood and Hawthorne, who noted they have less access to ‘grab and go’ centers.”

The Dodgers and Dodgers Foundation launched joint relief efforts in early April and are working with team partners to provide 356,280 meals and $953,000 worth of food, water, hygiene necessities, and Dodger products, including boxes of essentials picked up in a drive-thru setting in the communities of the families they serve. For more information on relief efforts, educational programs and community resources, please visit Dodgers.com/Relief.

About Dodgers RBI:

Dodgers RBI is a sports-based youth development program founded by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation for ages 5-18 that uses baseball and softball participation to provide kids life-changing social and emotional learning and access to health care and educational opportunities. As they develop self-confidence and empathy through sport, LADF unlocks access to health care and educational opportunities as well as provides a place where the kids can feel safe while they play and learn. Although on-the-field programming remains suspended due to COVID-19, LADF continues to support youth, parents and coaches through virtual coaches’ trainings, parent workshops, Wellness Wednesdays fitness and nutrition activities, baseball and softball Dodger Drills video series, college-prep sessions, health and education resources, and Dodger Day Drive-thru series that included food, education, and health resource distributions in the communities that need it most. To learn more about Dodgers RBI and the 2020 COVID-19 Needs Assessment, detailing the impact of the pandemic on households and how LADF has adapted support during this time, please visit Dodgers.com/DodgersRBI.

In addition to Community Ambassador Bank of America, 2020 Dodgers RBI program sponsors include: 99 Cents Only Stores, ARCO, California Masonic Foundation, Dasani, Stephen R. Dennis Memorial Fund, Gatorade, Helen and Will Webster Foundation, Kershaw’s Challenge, LA84 Foundation, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Los Angeles County Department of Water and Power, Melissa’s Produce, Nike, and UCLA Health.

About the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation:

ESPN’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is bigger than baseball with ambitions to be the city’s premier charity. We envision a city where everyone regardless of zip code has the opportunity to thrive. We are tackling the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles with a mission to improve education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all Angelenos. Since 1995, we have invested more than $30 million in programs and grants to nonprofits, and fundraising has increased by 1,000% since 2012. That growth has enabled us to do more.

Visit LADF online at www.dodgers.com/ladf, follow them on Twitter, @DodgersFdn, Instagram, @dodgersfoundation, and like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LosAngelesDodgersFoundation.

About Helping Hands Community:

Helping Hands Community is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving those most vulnerable to COVID-19: senior citizens, the immunocompromised, and people with pre-existing medical conditions which put them at additional risk. Our community of volunteers deliver groceries, medicine, and other necessary supplies, and our local and national partners help us identify and reach those in need wherever they may be. The Helping Hands Community platform makes community volunteerism easy and reliable, while providing a tech-enabled solution for partners to scale their impact. Founded by veterans of Uber, Facebook, and Google and students beginning their careers, the Helping Hands Community comprises more than 150 volunteers from around the world.