SOVA Valley Food Pantry

Terrible experience at SOVA – 16439 Vanowen St, Van Nuys My elderly mother asked me to pick up food for her, and the treatment I received was shocking. There is a huge empty parking lot at this location, yet Supervisor Sandra and the security guard refused to let me park there. They threatened that I would not get food if I parked in the wrong place, and when I finally parked a block away and came back, they still refused to give me food — even though staff inside said I could. The security guard even said: “I am happy you are leaving without the food.” This was beyond rude and cruel. It felt like they were intentionally making it difficult for elderly people to get the help they need. The parking situation is a mess, and the way Supervisor Sandra and the security guard treat people is unacceptable. They are unprofessional, disrespectful, and should not be working in a place meant to serve the elderly and vulnerable. This needs to be fixed immediately — both the parking and the staff behavior.

Updated 09/2023: Despite a good solid basic service, the way the public has to line up at SOVA Van Nuys is extremely undignified and not even sanitary.. Before COVID there was indoor seating. With a 5 million grant from the city, SOVA should do MUCH better than this (see photos). —- Good place to go when you don’t have food security. Plan to spend a couple of hours as they serve a lot of people in a very methodic way. kosher option available.

These people were so kind and so professional and, seemingly, organized. I am pretty new to taking the help being offered. These kind judgment-free men and women made us feel welcome. Their warmth and actual desire to help turned our earth-shattering crisis (... our darkest days,... relationship damaging, maybe destroying,...our sleep-preventing plight... Seriously, for us. We'll. We never imagined we would be in such difficult circumstances...) it seemed an inerpountable with an understanding and reassuring smile

Half of the people that work there are very nice and helpful, but the other half...NO COMMENTS! Most of the food they give is expired, My kids and I won't eat it. If it was me I would never ever donate expired food I consider that an insult, I don't even feed expired food to my pets. Once I got some moldy bread. Very once in a while they'll give good frozen meat and a few decent goodies (mostly on holidays). So when I get the expired food goes from my trunk straight to the trash can.

Okay food bank but since they started their drive-thru distribution, most of their food is consistently expired and the produce is just horribly molded. Trucks sometime arrive late so we’re waiting in our cars standby till they start to operate. Staff is friendly and lines go quickly but food quality lately has been bad mostly just expired food.

Much love and respect. Thank each and everyone of you for your help : )

Great food bank for getting a variety of grocery items that will help make it through the month if you are struggling. Now you can even go twice a month! You always get your choice of meat and this time I got a big block of cheddar cheese, a whole chicken, and a good mix of other food items that I ate. It's easy to get in and out and everyone's usually very helpful and nice except sometimes the parking lot staff on the way in. Other then that, great place to be a member of! They don't short you on the food and in the past they even gave so much that I almost couldn't fit it all in the car! Very generous and worth it!

DON'T GO!!! They HATE humans here. Online they said to call or email for a Food Bank Application - I emailed yesterday - they emailed back right away that "no application is needed" to just go during days & hours open -- I went just now & was made to wait with other handicapped while Abled people got shopping carts full of food - 45 minutes later after people who got there 5 minutes ago got food - I was told "we're not accepting new people" & then they they offered me 1 bottle of water & 2 TEENY tiny 4oz bottles of ENSURE - ENSURE!!!!! Nasty Gross teeny tiny LIQUID FOOD!!!!! They are nothing but a bunch of out & out liars who treat the needy as Animals.