MORE NEED, MORE GIVING LOCAL NONPROFITS STEP UP TO MEET DEMAND.

Byline: - Lisa Van Proyen

A record 69,000 residents receive free food each month in the San Fernando Valley, thanks to the generosity of 19 food pantries that work to meet their nutritional needs.

That figure is up by 24,000 people compared with last year, according to the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council.

``We had more needs locally and nationally this year, yet we still managed to maintain our services. People have been giving and giving and giving,'' said Ileene Parker, program director for community support services for VIC.

More than 250 local social service groups also help the needy, including MEND - Meet Each Need with Dignity - the Valley's largest nonprofit poverty-relief agency. Some 1,800 volunteers provide 38,000 people free health care, job training, emergency food and clothing each month.

MEND, currently housed in a 20,000-square-foot building, plans to open an additional 40,000-square-foot facility by year's end - tripling its space - to accommodate four more medical treatment rooms, five more dental chairs and quadrupling its size for food and clothing.

In North Hollywood, Wheels For Humanity helps the needy throughout the world.

David Richard founded the nonprofit organization from his North Hollywood garage 10 years ago, when he recycled about 100 used wheelchairs to give to those in need.

Today, Richard and about 50 regular volunteers refurbish more than 5,000 pediatric, sports, electric and manual wheelchairs annually to send to disabled people in 59 developing countries.

A team of trip volunteers, including occupational and physical therapists and feeding specialists, travel to properly fit the patients - free of charge.

``A lot of wheelchairs were being discarded in the U.S., so I started recycling them,'' said Richard, who recently delivered 250 wheelchairs to Costa Rica.

Here are some of the food-related social services available in the San Fernando Valley. Call for hours of operation.

Food pantries:

--Interfaith Family Assistance, 10176 Norris Ave., Pacoima; [phone], Ext. 3012.

--Los Angeles Family Housing Corp., 7843 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; [phone].

--Meet Each Need with Dignity, 13460 Van Nuys Blvd., Pacoima; [phone], Ext. 30.

--North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry, 4387 Troost Ave.; [phone].--Our Redeemer Lutheran Church Pantry, 20025 Chase St., Winnetka; [phone].

--West Valley Food Pantry at Prince of Peace Church, 5700 Rudnick Ave., Woodland Hills; [phone].

--Jewish Family Services - SOVA Food Pantry, 16439 Vanowen St., Van Nuys; [phone].

--Reseda United Methodist Church Food Pantry, 18120 Saticoy St.; [phone].

--Meals On Wheels for the San Fernando Valley; [phone].

--San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council, 10824 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Chatsworth; [phone].

Other social services:

--Boys & Girls Club, 11251 Glenoaks Blvd., Pacoima; [phone].

--Bridge Focus (counseling and support for at-risk kids), 14418 Chase St., Suite 205, Panorama City; [phone].

--Child & Family Guidance Center, 9650 Zelzah Ave., Northridge; [phone].

--Children of the Night (rescue and shelter for teenage prostitutes), [phone] or [phone].

--Children's Burn Foundation, 5000 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 300, Sherman Oaks; [phone].

--Friends of the Family (family counseling), 15350 Sherman Way, Suite 140, Van Nuys; [phone].

--Wheels For Humanity; 12750 Raymer St., Unit No. 4, North Hollywood; [phone].

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(color) The founder of Wheels for Humanity, David Richard, left, fixes and donates wheelchairs across the world. Here he helps with a repair job.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

Box:

Here are some of the food-related social services available in the San Fernando Valley. Call for hours of operation (see text)