Hollywood-Based Relief Agency Fights Hunger in Own Backyard

An evangelistic world relief organization based in Hollywood for 25 years has become one of the largest distributors of donated food in the Los Angeles area.

World Opportunities International, headquartered on Cahuenga Boulevard south of Sunset Boulevard, had quietly supported foreign missionaries and sent food, clothing and medical supplies overseas on donations and revenues that rose to $1.8 million by 1980.

“We then decided to start feeding in America also,” said Kenneth F. Phillips, World Opportunity’s executive vice president, who has been with founder-President Roy McKeown since the organization’s inception.

World Opportunities built new facilities from which to channel donated produce, fruit, cheese and bakery items from the excess produced by food processors. At present, Phillips said, World Opportunities sends out 45,000 pounds of food per day. About 70 of the 180 recipient agencies pick up food daily at World Opportunities’ Hunger House at its headquarters.

“We don’t know of anyone doing anything more than that,” Phillips said.

The organization, whose board chairman is former Los Angeles City Council President John S. Gibson Jr., received $11.7 million in support last year--$6.3 million in donated food, materials and services and the rest in cash, Phillips said.

“Most agencies we distribute food to are small operations, sometimes storefront churches,” Phillips said. “We have them sign forms that say they will not sell the food and we have a full-time person who goes periodically to watch the distribution.”

Only about a dozen recipients are located in Hollywood, among them the Holy Ghost Repair Service, Centrum of Hollywood, Hollywood First Presbyterian Church, Hollywood Lutheran Church, Hollywood Independent Church, the Boys Club of Hollywood and the Center for Pacific Asian Families.