Calif. Squadron Helps Prepare Food Boxes

Senior Member Anita Sengupta
Assistant Public Affairs Officer
San Fernando Senior Squadron 35
California Wing

Ten members from the California Wing's San Fernando Senior Squadron 35 recently prepare 4,000 boxes of supplies at the Los Angeles Food Bank warehouse in Industry for distribution

The participating members wore gloves and masks and maintained social distancing as they helped box and package food on assembly lines. Each box includes fruit, vegetables and other staples and goes to a family in need in Los Angeles County.

First Lt. Dominick Scarola, the squadron’s operations officer, was one of the volunteers. “Through Civil Air Patrol membership, doors are opened that allow me to give back and serve the community around me,” Scarola said. “Stepping up in times of need in service of others is what Civil Air Patrol means to me — we, as members, want to further that cause and mission.”

The squadron’s safety officer, 1st Lt. Sam Nozik, helped out as well. “As CAP members, taking care of our community is what drives us,” Nozik said. “Whether that's rescuing someone in an emergency or helping to feed our neighbors in a time of crisis, we’re all here to look after one another.”

As a trained disaster preparedness relief organization, Civil Air Patrol has been engaged with government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide support during the COVID-19 pandemic. The California Wing has supported the Los Angeles Food Bank numerous times the last 12 months.

Acting as a Total Force partner and Air Force auxiliary, CAP is aligned with 1st Air Force to rapidly respond to nonmilitary threats domestically when tasked in a Defense Support of Civil Authorities capacity to save lives, relieve suffering, prevent property damage and provide humanitarian assistance.