Neighbors Helping Neighbors in South Los Angeles Communities

As school districts across the city reopen for the 2021-22 school year during the COVID-19 Delta variant surge backdrop, East Side Riders Bike Club (ESRBC) founder and executive director John Jones III is once again focusing efforts on the communities of Watts and Compton. Relying solely on community donations and volunteer support, the Ride to Feed the Hungry program began serving meals during the initial months of the pandemic, when families were hungry and people were out of work. The initiative is continuing through 2021 for anyone in need, and it has provided 136,226 meals in the community to date.

ESRBC is gearing up for its annual Holiday Give-Back later this year, which includes the Halloween Grab-and-Go Drive-Thru on October 31, 2021, and the Feed the Hungry Thanksgiving Bags Giveaway, which provides 200 families with food for the holiday, and the Adopt a Family event, which funds holiday wish lists for community members. All of these events align with the organization's mission to "improve Watts through community service and charity work." GRoW is honored to be a longtime supporter of East Side Riders.