The fruits of their labor are many

GROWING AWARENESS—Noah Malick, 12, and his mother collect unused fruit for the hungry. BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers Linda Malik and her 12-yearold son Noah are taking a fresh perspective on fighting hunger in the Conejo Valley.

Working under the moniker Fruit for Life, the mother-son duo spend their free time picking fruit from local trees and delivering the produce to the seven homeless shelters in the area.

“If you drive down any street in Oak Park or parts of Los Angeles, you see thousands of fruit trees in people’s yards,” said Malik. “The owners may pick one crop, but the rest of the fruit is left to rot.”

Rather than just rotting, the fruit has become a welcomed addition to the local shelter meals which usually consist only of canned products.

“All the shelters are desperately lacking fresh food,” Malik said.

While the concept has been a dream of Malik’s for a number of years, she was prompted into making it a reality by her son’s upcoming Bar Mitzvah. Members of the Jewish community often participate in charitable acts in celebration of their 13th birthday.

“I wanted my son to see that he has a very fortunate life and for him to learn how rewarding it can be to give to the community,” said Malik.

The mother and son initiated their plan last year by handing out flyers to local community members, but their efforts failed to produce immediate results. Malik and her son are now organizing an e-mail drive in hopes of encourage additional donors.

“We’re hoping that by e-mailing friends and family and encouraging them to e-mail friends and family that the idea will snowball into something much bigger,” said Malik. “We want to get the community involved in the community in order to help people who can’t help themselves.”

While the Conejo Valley is a highly affluent area, officials say dozens of homeless people regularly visit the local shelters.

While the mother-son team has not yet filed articles of incorporation to become a formal charity—and still finds most of its donors by knocking on peoples’ doors—they say they are willing to do whatever it takes to make their idea succeed.

“We’ll pick the fruit, and we’ll come and get it,” said Malik. “We’ll do whatever we have to to get the fruit and deliver it to these shelters.”