More than 650 children Tuesday received $50 grocery gift cards, which were distributed by the mayor of Los Angeles and two Dodger players.
Mayor Eric Garcetti was joined by Joe Kelly and David Freese at the downtown Skid Row Learning Center to pass out the free gift cards to children in need.
"Many of you guys know what it's like to sometimes, you know, live not just month-to-month, not just day-to-day but sometimes meal-to-meal," Garcetti said. "Who's been hungry in this room before? ... We believe that it's the right of every little boy and girl and big boy and girl and young men and young women to make sure that they don't have to worry about their next meal."
The cards were donated by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Smart & Final and the Getty House Foundation through the "Home Plate Project,'' a partnership of Major League Baseball, country music artist Garth Brooks' Teammates for Kids Foundation and Big League Impact with the support of School on Wheels.
Fifty students who are part of the Skid Row School on Wheels program received a free lunch and a backpack during the event.
