It may just be Southern California’s longest drive-thru line.
But when these drivers pull up to the front, there’s no window, fast food or even cashiers.
Instead, each car is met with a troop of volunteers, efficiently placing bundles of fresh produce and two weeks’ worth of groceries in the trunk — all for free.
This is the Seva Collective food pantry in Santa Ana, California, a food desert — a geographic area where residents struggle to consistently access nutritious food.
Born in a crucial time of need at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, this organization began as a scrappy operation — a handful of volunteers, food and toys purchased by the organizers themselves, and a dream to help a community dealing with food insecurity.
“When we first started, we were driving to LA downtown food market, we were driving to Central California to pick up citrus — we were kind of all over the place,” said Seva Collective founder Bandana Singh.