1st Annual Persian Thanks Food Drive

PAAIA Chapters Volunteer and Serve Thanksgiving

By PAAIA Staff

January 25, 2011, Los Angeles, CA – The 1st Annual Persian Thanks food drive kicked off this past November. PAAIA Chapter members in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and the Bay Area mobilized and brought food to homeless shelters and crisis centers during Thanksgiving week. Persian Thanks is a new PAAIA program that embraces American culture–Persian style.

Highlights of Persian Thanks in southern California included PAAIA’s San Diego Chapter who prepared and served an elaborate Persian-style Thanksgiving dinner for nearly 100 residents and staff at the Family Recovery Center located in Oceanside. The center serves pregnant and parenting women who have been victims of abuse or are going through drug/alcohol rehabilitation.

PAAIA’s Orange County Chapter adopted Human Option as their shelter and has continued its support since Thanksgiving, donating additional food and gifts throughout the holiday season.

In Los Angeles, nine restaurants and businesses joined PAAIA as Persian Thanks sponsors making it possible for volunteers to take on three shelters: Covenant House, Ocean Park Community Center, and Venice Community Housing. They served catered Persian food to more than 200 youth and individuals in need.

In northern California, PAAIA’s Bay Area Chapter divided its efforts into five regions: Berkely, Modesto, San Jose, Sacramento, and San Mateo. In Berkeley, Lavash Middle Eastern Market and Chick-O-Peas Falafel Restaurant provided food and dry goods that were delivered by Persian Thanks volunteers to the Boss Harrison Singles Shelter. In San Jose, Persian Thanks efforts were made possible by the generosity of Afarin Mahini of Café Pomegranate. Mahini catered a Persian Dinner for 40 residents and staff at the InnVision Villa, a transitional home for women and children.

Brothers, Shad and Shi Mohammadi, led Persian Thanks efforts on the peninsula by securing Whole Foods as a donor, which donated $1,000 worth of food to the Samaritan House. In Sacramento, Persian Thanks delivered 4,460 pounds of food and a significant amount of clothing to the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. A small group of Persian Thanks volunteers delivered a considerable amount of food, fresh fruit, dried goods, clothes, cleaning materials, and other necessary materials to the Children’s Crisis Center of Stanislaus County. The Children’s Crisis Center is a private, nonprofit, child abuse prevention and intervention program serving all of Stanislaus County.

Since Thanksgiving, PAAIA has received numerous thank you letters from these shelters reinforcing that our community activities have helped elevate the image of Iranian Americans and create a better understanding of Persian culture. To read the thank you letters and see event pictures, please click here.

PAAIA would like to thank our sponsors and volunteers for helping making Persian Thanks a successful food drive effort:

Aram Bakery (San Jose, CA)
Baran Restaurant (Los Angeles, CA)
Bazar Khavarmiane (San Francisco, CA)
Cafe Pomegranate (San Jose, CA)
Char Fasl Restaurant (Agoura Hills, CA)
Chick-O-Peas Falafel Restaurant (Berkeley, CA)
Darya Restaurant (Los Angeles, CA)
Hafteh Bazaar (Los Angeles, CA)
Hakopian Catering (Glendale, CA)
House of Kabab (Irvine, CA)
Lavash Restaurant (San Francisco, CA)
Rex Bakery (Los Angeles, CA)
Samaritan House (San Mateo, CA)
Star Bakery (Los Angeles, CA)
Super Irvine (Irvine, CA)
Super Jordan (Los Angeles, CA)
Time TV (Los Angeles, CA)
Whole Foods (San Mateo, CA)
Yekta Restaurant (Los Angeles, CA)

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