Neighbors Helping Neighbors in South Los Angeles Communities

As school districts across the city reopen for the 2021-22 school year against the COVID-19 delta variant surge backdrop, John Jones III, the founder and executive director of the East Side Riders Bike Club, is once again focusing efforts on the communities of Watts and Compton. Relying solely on community donations and volunteer support, the Feed the Hungry program began serving meals during the initial months of the  COVID-19 pandemic when families were hungry and out of work. The program continued through 2021 for anyone in need, and to date, has provided 136,226 meals in the community.  East Side Riders Bike Club has additional activities planned for the remainder of 2021, including a Halloween Grab-and-Go Drive-Thru on October 31, 2021, and the 12th Annual "Feed the Hungry Thanksgiving Bags Giveaway" to provide 200 families with food for the Thanksgiving holiday. The organization will end the year with the Holiday Giveback, their annual Adopt a Family event to fund the holiday wish lists for families in the community.  Every event sponsored by the group aligns with the organization's mission to "improve Watts through community service and charity work." GRoW is honored to be a long-time supporter of East Side Riders and its founder, John Jones III.