Jennifer Love Hewitt co-hosts "Season for Sharing" at the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank

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CELEBRITY AND MEDIA VOLUNTEER DAY
at the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank!

Hosted by Jennifer Love Hewitt and the SoCal Chapter of AWRT

WHO:
During “Season For Sharing,”  local celebrities and media are rallying together to help assemble and ready food packages at the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank for distribution to the community, including Candy Spelling, Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives); Patricia Kara (Deal or No Deal); Jessica Kinni (VH1s Rock of Love 2, VH1 Charm School); Maureen McCormick (The Brady Bunch);
Drew Seeley (Another Cinderella Story);  Becca and Meaghan Martin (Camp Rock); Ross "The Intern" Mathews (The Jay Leno Show); Shailene Woodley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager); Jamie McCall (Pushing Daisies); Erica Hubbard (Lincoln Heights); Ajay Mehta (Fiber One); Chelsea Hightower (Dancing with the Stars); Gayla Johnson, Actress/Comedian; Kate Linder, Actress; Rick Yune, Actor;  Amy Paffrath, Host, E! News;
Anita Vogel, Correspondent, Fox News Channel; Alysha Del Valle, Morning News Team, KABC Eyewitness News ; Rita Garcia, Reporter, KCAL/KCBS; Jo Kwon, General Assignment Reporter, KABC 790; Shira Lazar, Blogger, The Pop Report;
Marcela Luevanos, On Air, Exitos 93.9 with attendance from Daily Variety, CBS Radio, KTTV Fox 11 and KCOP My 13 Los Angeles, Power Women Magazine & Radio Show, KABC Radio, Premiere Radio Networks, Southern California Broadcasters Association, Muse Artist Management , Radio Disney AM 1110, 710 ESPN, Global Vision Editing, VCI Solutions, Celebrity Photo Agency, The Multi Cultural Cooking Network and Look to the Stars,
Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Radio & Television Society,
Press Association, Lifetime Networks, London Entertainment, FilmLink, KNX 1070 Newsradio, General Mills, and more.

WHAT:
Los Angeles Regional Foodbank’s “Season for Sharing” Celebrity & Media Volunteer Day

WHEN:
Saturday, November 14, 2009, 8:45 am - 12:00 pm

WHERE:
1734 E 41st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90058

WHY:
To create awareness of the growing need for volunteers and donations at the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank this Holiday Season.

PRESS RSVP:
Contact Kim Spence, PR Director, AWRT SoCal at press@awrtsocal.org or call 310.463.4201.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
To learn how you can get involved or to donate to the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank, please visit https://www.lafoodbank.org/ssl/awrt.htm.

ONE OUT OF EVERY EIGHT PEOPLE IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY IS AT RISK OF HUNGER

Burbank, CA (Wednesday, October 21, 2009) – No matter who you talk to these days, everyone seems to know a friend, relative, or an associate that has recently lost their job due to the volatile U.S. economic climate. As a result of increasing unemployment, this holiday season there is a growing demand for volunteers and donations at charitable organizations nationwide.

Celebrity co-host Jennifer Love Hewitt joins American Women in Radio & Television’s Southern California (AWRT SoCal) Chapter to kick off the “Season for Sharing” at the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank on Saturday, November 14 starting at 8:45am. Patricia Kara (Deal or No Deal), Jessica Kinni (VH1's Rock of Love 2, VH1 Charm School), Ross "The Intern" Mathews, along with many local celebrities, members of the media, and AWRT SoCal members will gather to assemble and ready food packages at the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank for distribution to the community.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to volunteer and raise awareness for a very worthy cause,” states Laura Behrman, AWRT SoCal President. “Due to the recession, the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank has encountered increasing demands and we want to encourage everyone this holiday season to volunteer and donate what you can to help others in need.”

In September California’s unemployment reached a staggering 12.2 percent, exceeding the national U.S. unemployment rate of 9.8 percent, and leaving many California families in need. Based on recent figures released in October by the Employment Development Department, the number of people unemployed in California in September 2009 was 2,247,000, up 799,000 compared with September of last year. With more and more families losing their incomes, their homes, and their ability to provide the basic necessities for their children, charitable organizations like the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank are facing major increases in demand.

The Los Angeles Regional Foodbank, which distributes food to 544 charitable agencies providing service from 902 agency sites throughout Los Angeles County, has increased volume by 41%, the equivalent of 5 million meals, year to date compared to last year to meet the demand; however, there still remains a gap between the overall demand for food assistance and the supply of food.

“The demand for food assistance has reached record proportions in Los Angeles County,” said Michael Flood, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank. “As a result of state budget cuts and rising unemployment rates, hunger is becoming a more critical problem. We are actively recruiting new pantry locations to increase distribution and are seeking help from the community through donations and volunteering.”

To learn how you can help or to donate to the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank, please visit https://www.lafoodbank.org/ssl/awrt.htm. For more information, visit www.awrtsocal.org or email info@awrtsocal.org.


ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOODBANK:

The Los Angeles Regional Foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organization established in 1973 and is one of the largest food banks in the United States. Through a network of over 540 charitable agencies with more than 900 sites, the Foodbank supplies enough food for over 700,000 meals each week in Los Angeles County. The Foodbank is affiliated with Feeding America. For more information, visit http://www.lafoodbank.org.

Contact:
Amanda Brocato
FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS
Amanda@FifteenMinutes.com
323.556.9700

Ryan Croy
FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS
Ryan@FifteenMinutes.com
323.556.9700


ABOUT AWRT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:

American Women in Radio & Television (AWRT), is the longest established professional association dedicated to advancing women in media and entertainment. AWRT is a National organization, with local chapters across the country. AWRT carries forth its mission by educating, advocating and acting as a resource to its members and the industry at large.

Founded in 1951, AWRT works to improve the quality of electronic media; promote the entry, development and advancement of women in the field; foster communication and idea exchange; and give back to the community we serve. For more information, visit www.awrt.org.

The Southern California Chapter of AWRT is a non-profit membership organization for women and men who work in the electronic media and allied fields in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Ventura counties. The Southern California Chapter of AWRT offers numerous local benefits to its members, including networking events, educational programs, community outreach, career counseling and occupational training. Founded in 1952, the first Chapter president was Jeanne Gray-McDonald, after whom the Chapter's prestigious Genii Award is named. For more information, visit www.awrtsocal.org.


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