Agency Scrounges for Recyclables to Raise Food Money

The people began lining up at sunrise and stood through the morning hours for a simple shopping bag filled with cheese, bread, butter and cans of tuna.

“I could really use the food,” said 31-year-old Cindy Tellez, a single mother of three young children, who stood in line at South Gate Park for the monthly food distribution program conducted by the Bell-based Welfare Action social service organization. “Every once in awhile, it helps.”

Tellez’ friend, who identified herself only as Jean, was more blunt in assessing her friend’s financial condition. “She’s had nothing for her kids more than once,” Jean said. “Sometimes it’s the only food in her house. Thank God people like her have this (food supplement program).”

But faced with shrinking federal and county funding, Welfare Action officials say they have resorted to a new fund-raising tactic--recycling--in an effort to continue such food distributions at half a dozen Southeast cities. The agency already has been forced to eliminate distributions in Bell, Maywood, Bell Gardens and Huntington Park, president Karen Adam said.

Welfare Action volunteers are literally scrounging for cash by going to neighborhood garages, bars, stores and casinos to collect cardboard, newspapers, cans, bottles and anything else that can be turned in for money.

“Recycling is the only thing that is going to get us through January,” said Welfare Action spokeswoman Denece Adams, who was directing the South Gate food giveaway.

The social service organization’s headquarters, located in the United Auto Workers union hall on Gage Avenue, has become a recycling center, Welfare Action members say. Large receptacles sit in a rear parking lot. Each day a dozen volunteers spend the afternoon sorting out the latest delivery of trash.

Businesses Help

More than three dozen local businesses have agreed to donate recycled materials to the group, Adam said. Some deliver the materials to the Gage Avenue center, but Welfare Action volunteers also have developed daily routes to pick up recyclable goods donated by supermarkets, residents and local businesses, Adam said.

“Recycling is an excellent idea,” she said. “It involves everybody in the community.”

Two members of the community who recently agreed to join the recycling effort, Adam said, are the Commerce Casino and California Bell Club.

Club officials have agreed to donate the hundreds of bottles and cans that are otherwise thrown away each day. Every morning, Welfare Action volunteers pick up large plastic barrels filled with empty beverage containers. The barrels are provided by Welfare Action.

“It’s literally a gold mine for us,” Adam said. With the recent additions of the casinos to the recycling pickup routes, Adam estimated that the organization could collect $25,000 next year through recycling.

It Takes Tons

The group in November collected 10 tons of paper, 2.2 tons of glass and 300 pounds of aluminum, all of which yielded about $2,000.

The group, with the aid of Rep. Matthew G. Martinez (D-Monterey Park) has been negotiating with George Hardie, owner of the Bicycle Club in Bell Gardens. But so far, no agreement has been reached. Bicycle Club officials were unavailable for comment.

Adam said the organization could double its collections next year if the busy Bicycle Club would participate in the recycling effort.

The recycling money would offset only part of the cuts in federal and county funds, however. For example, community service block grant funds from the Los Angeles County Community Services Agency dropped to $50,000 this year from $160,000 last year, Adam said. Federal Emergency Management Agency funding has dropped to $27,000 from $68,000 in the same period, she said.

“It’s a lot of work for very little money,” spokeswoman Denece dams said. “Recycling can help us but it can’t substitute for the lost funding.”

Limited to 2 Cities

The reduced funding has forced Welfare Action to limit its food distribution to South Gate and Cudahy, and the South Gate giveaway may have to be halted unless the recycling collection provides enough money this month, president Adam said.

“If more people would get involved,” Adam said, “we could help feed folks and clean up the environment.”

In a flyer distributed to residents in nearby communities, Welfare Action has issued a plea to save recyclable household goods.

Titled the “Urban Trash Crisis,” the flyer points out that about 25% of household trash consists of “items that are easily recycleable, such as aluminum cans, bottles and newspapers. And nearly 50% of commercial trash is paper.”

“We’re polluting our air and water, and (recycling) is another way to relieve the trash crisis and help keep alive a vital community service,” Adam said.