COUNTRY CLUB PARK : Assistance Group Moves to New Home

The Korean American Food & Shelter Service has moved but will continue to provide assistance to victims of last year’s riots, the homeless and low-income families.

The organization, established after the riots to help Korean-American victims, soon found that the need for food and shelter among others in the community was greater than expected.

“We discovered that there was not just a temporary need, but an ongoing crisis in Los Angeles among people who lack the basic necessities of life,” said the Rev. Tom Choi, chairman of the organization’s board of directors.

At its former location on Western Avenue in Koreatown, the organization served about 1,000 people a week, offering donated food, shelter referrals, job training, taxi coupons, English as a Second Language classes and counseling.

The new facility at 916 Crenshaw Blvd., leased with the help of the United Methodist Church, will offer the same services but provide more space for the mostly volunteer staff, said the Rev. Hyun Seung Yang, the organization’s executive director.

About 80% of the organization’s clients are Korean-American, but Yang said he hopes to serve more African-American, Latino and Anglo clients. “Our goal is to promote peace through service to a multiethnic constituency,” Yang said.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Food is distributed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m. Prospective clients are asked to provide identification and verification that they fall within federal low-income guidelines.

Information: (213) 936-1115.