Deirdre Newman It seemed like such a...

Deirdre Newman

It seemed like such a simple idea.

Pick up extra food from grocery stores that would normally be

discarded and deliver it to social service agencies.

But when Corona del Mar High School senior Joe Klunder first

broached this idea to the management of a Newport Beach grocery

store, he was immediately thwarted.

“I called the manager ... and he hung up on me,” Klunder said.

But the 17-year-old was undeterred.

Through legal research, cold-calling and perseverance, Klunder

transformed his kernel of an idea into the Youth Community

Organization Serving Others, which delivers food and clothing to

various social service agencies in the Newport-Mesa area.

On Thanksgiving, Klunder delivered a shopping cart worth of bread

from Pavilions in Newport Beach to the Senior Center in Costa Mesa.

Bill Mills, the center’s donation coordinator expressed his

appreciation for Klunder’s spirit of generosity.

“He’s great -- he’s a blessing here,” Mills said.

Klunder was inspired to act two years ago when he saw a Newport

Beach grocery store throw away a lot of fresh food at the end of the

day. Based on his previous volunteer experience working in soup

kitchens, he said he noticed that that there’s not always enough

healthy food to give out.

“It’s mostly stale bread that’s three weeks old and rock hard,”

Klunder said. “Just to see all that fresh, healthy food thrown out

was a slap in the face knowing where it could be used.”

When he called the store manager the next day, he was erroneously

told that laws prevented this kind of food from being donated because

of liability before he was unceremoniously disconnected.

But after doing some research, Klunder uncovered the Bill Emerson

Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996, which protects donors from

liability when donating to a nonprofit organization.

Buoyed by his find, Klunder then contacted Denise Weiland, Corona

del Mar High School’s community service program specialist, who

provided him with some referrals. Klunder spent the next year

soliciting donations from grocery and retail stores.

His first delivery happened early this year when he picked up a

donation from Sunflour Natural Bakery and delivered it to the Orange

Coast Interfaith Shelter in Costa Mesa.

“I felt like everything was coming into place,” Klunder said.

“It’s great that all these efforts did start to pay off because it

was really making a positive difference.”

The organization currently counts 10 stores and one individual as

donors. Klunder and his network of good Samaritans donate the bounty

directly to four social service agencies. Sometimes those

organizations then donate their excess portions to other agencies as

Klunder’s goodwill gestures ripple throughout the community.

His network includes 18 students at Corona del Mar High School who

help with the organization and earn community service credit for

doing so. His right-hand-man is senior Patrick Ahearn, 17, the

organization’s assistant director.

“I think sometimes Corona del Mar gets a reputation of not being

socially conscious and being superficial, but this serves to refute

that theory,” Klunder said.

The amount of time Klunder and his helpers spend picking up and

delivering food varies each week, depending on the time of year.

Sometimes it can be as little as once a week. Other times it can be

three times a day. And it does require a willingness to be available

at all hours as pick-ups are scheduled as early as 5:30 a.m. or as

late as 11 p.m., Klunder said.

Weiland, who watched as Klunder’s idea blossomed, said she is

impressed with his dogged determination to help others.

“He’s very, very focused and motivated and no matter what, nothing

was going to stop him,” Weiland said. “He came in and said what he

was going to do and it sounded huge and overwhelming, but I think

it’s been successful. It’s really unique.”

Since Klunder is planning on going to college next year, he is

looking for someone to take over the reins of his organization. His

father, Carl, said he would also like to see his son’s contribution

to the community continue.

“The more accounts he gets, the more kids will get involved, so

when he goes off next year to college, it’s still thriving here,”

Carl said.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.