Fullerton Group Also Assists the Poor

* I am writing on behalf of the Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Service to commend you on The Times’ [November] series on “Poverty in Orange County.” However, when you listed the agencies serving the poor, you inadvertently omitted the Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Service, which is one of the largest providers of food, lodging and other emergency services in north Orange County--assisting over 33,000 persons last year from our distribution center at 244 E. Valencia Drive, Fullerton.

For the past 20 years, 24 religious congregations have pooled their resources to provide not only these emergency services but also transitional housing that this year helped 43 homeless families at our New Vista shelter get back on their feet and into their own apartments.

Thank you for helping us make the work of FIES better known to your readers so we may more effectively accomplish our mission of alleviating the suffering caused by hunger and homelessness in our community. Anyone wishing to help FIES can reach us at (714) 871-3032 or P.O. Box 6326, Fullerton, CA 92634.

BARBARA W. JOHNSON

Executive director

Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Service