COUNCIL AIMS TO EASE HUNGER GOAL IS TO HELP 'FOOD INSECURE' PEOPLE, OTHERS IN NEED.

Byline: Holly Andres Staff Writer

CHATSWORTH - The Valley Interfaith Council has entered its 40th year of service to the San Fernando Valley with a new primary mission: Feed the hungry.

The council, formed four decades ago this past Tuesday as the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council, already coordinates Meals on Wheels for seniors and food pantries, as well as projects to improve interfaith relations and leadership on social issues.

``When you turn 40, you have the opportunity to chart the rest of your life,'' said the Rev. Ron Degges from Little White Chapel Christian Church in Burbank and a board member of VIC.

``At VIC, we're going to focus on the root causes of hunger in the Valley. So many people get involved with giving food to the hungry during holiday times. Then we forget that the problem exists in January and the rest of the year. We're going to try and sustain that concern.''

Even though ``identity crisis'' wouldn't be the words Degges would use to describe the council at 40, the organization has recently seen the need for a slight face lift.

The council will now be called VIC and have a new logo - a figure walking across a bridge with the words ``Your bridge to help'' below.

``I talk to people who tell me they know about the Meals on Wheels but they don't know about our senior centers. Or they know about the interfaith panels but not the food pantries,'' said Barry Smedberg, president of VIC. ``People know about the parts but not the whole. The new logo gives a refreshing look. We're here if you need help and we're here if you want to help.''

Board members decided to launch a multipronged campaign to raise the awareness of hunger in the Valley after reading a policy brief by the Center for Health Research at the University of California, Los Angeles, that was released in June.

The study indicated that about 130,000 San Fernando Valley adults, the largest number of the eight areas in Los Angeles County studied, could be classified as ``food insecure.'' Homeless and children were not counted in the study.

``We don't want people to choose between buying food or paying for housing,'' Smedberg said. ``What we're all about is making this valley a better place to live. We all need to roll up our sleeves on hunger. We need your time, money, brains or brawn.''

Mike Mizrahi, communications vice president at VIC and the director of public affairs for The Gas Company, Northern Region, said VIC is going to take an aggressive approach to fighting hunger in the Valley.

``With that policy brief, `food insecure' is a growing issue. It could be your next-door neighbor,'' said Mizrahi, a member at Bel-Air Presbyterian Church.

``We want to get businesses to do their own food drives. We're already working with the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley. We're going to highlight the issue and get people engaged throughout the year.''

For VIC Thanksgiving food drive, call [phone], Ext. 3014 or 3016; Meals on Wheels has a waiting list and needs volunteers, call [phone]. Food pantry information, call [phone], Ext. 3012.

Holly Andres, [phone]

holly.andres(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Barry Smedberg, Ron Degges and Mike Mizrahi, from left, of the Valley Interfaith Council, work with VIC on projects like getting resources for the West Valley Food Pantry.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer