Pali High Junior Aims to Raise Funds for Westside Food Bank

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Palisadian Parker Ehlers, a junior at Palisades Charter High School, is helping raise funds for a local food bank for the second time in his life, and, due to statewide orders, this time, he’s organized a Readathon.

In the wake of organizations seeking help through the pandemic, Ehlers created a GoFundMe to help restock the shelves at the Santa Monica-based Westside Food Bank.

“Food is flying off the shelves at the Westside Food Bank and need is setting record highs,” Ehlers shared through the GoFundMe. “They emailed this week for emergency donations … and I want to help.”

Westside Food Bank is a nonprofit that provides food to social service agencies across West Los Angeles, including Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, West Hollywood and near LAX.

Westside Food Bank serves vulnerable populations, including women and children living in domestic violence shelters, homeless individuals, veterans, and individuals who need help making ends meet, according to its website.

Ehlers drew inspiration from a fundraiser his class organized in fourth grade at St. Matthew’s Parish School for the same organization.

“We want to match the amount we raised in fourth grade,” Ehlers said to the Palisadian-Post. “I hope to share this fundraiser with more people, especially my friends from St. Matthews and my friends at school.”

His fourth-grade class raised funds by joining the Westside Food Bank’s annual Hunger Walk, but due to Safer at Home restrictions, Ehlers decided to raise funds this time around with a Readathon. Ehlers said anybody can participate and read something or sponsor somebody to read.

Ehlers added that his preschool teacher, Rosie Strickland, is a founding board member at the Westside Food Bank and pushed him to pursue community service opportunities throughout his life.

“Recently I’ve been making meals for SPY, which is Safe Place for Youth in Venice, and the reason I decided to do this Westside Food Bank fundraiser was partly not being able to make those meals for SPY due to the pandemic,” Ehlers said. “For three years I’ve made meals once a month for homeless youth in Venice … the Westside Food Bank donates food to nonprofit organizations, including SPY.”

The fundraiser has raised more than $4,000 of its $10,000 goal so far.

“This equates to roughly 16,000 meals—one dollar equals four meals,” Ehlers said. “The Westside Food Bank needs a lot of help because it went through three months’ worth of preserves in three weeks … they need all the help they can get right now.”

To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/coronavirus-readathon.