For years during the holiday season, Anita Loyola Renfeldt packed her car with hot meals and care kits before heading into downtown Los Angeles to hand out the items one by one to people without homes. Today, she still gives back, though no longer on her own.
“I’d go out solo to hand out food because it’s important to me that no one feels forgotten, especially around this time of year,” said Loyola Renfeldt, manager of Talent Acquisition and Operations at Southern California Edison. “After joining Edison, I realized that by working together, we actually make a bigger impact in giving back.”
In the 15 years since she was hired, Loyola Renfeldt has regularly participated in Edison International volunteer events, including this year’s annual National Family Volunteer Day — a global day of service celebrating the power of families working together to support their communities — held at the Orange County Food Bank.
Working together, Anita Loyola Renfeldt and her son Noah demonstrate a commitment to service by helping fight food insecurity this holiday season.
Loyola Renfeldt brought her son Noah, a dozen of his high school friends and their parents to participate in the event. Shoulder to shoulder with 240 other SCE and Edison International employees, friends and family volunteers, they helped pack thousands of boxes of food, stuffed with juice, non-dairy milk, rice, beans, cereal, peanut butter, canned fruit and vegetables.
The boxes will help feed low-income seniors across Southern California this holiday season, addressing the persistent issue of food insecurity. Over 10% of the nation’s adults over 50 faced limited or uncertain access to adequate, nutritious food in 2023, according to the American Association of Retired Persons — the highest level in nearly a decade.
“It’s good for everyone, especially young people, to see and feel what it means to give back,” said Loyola Renfeldt. “I want Noah to understand that not everyone has what we have, and that kindness really does matter.”
With a dozen of his friends by his side, Noah Loyola Renfeldt (third from left) joins Edison volunteers on National Family Volunteer Day.
Edison International also contributed $60,000 this year to the Community Action Partnership of Orange County, the organization that hosted National Family Volunteer Day, to further support its efforts to end poverty.
“Each year, we host many volunteer events, but this one truly stands out. It’s special because we see Edison family members and their friends come together to make a difference,” said Liz Seelman, Edison International director of Corporate Relations and Philanthropy. “During the holiday season, it’s a wonderful reminder that giving back is at the heart of who we are.”
Having volunteered alongside his mom since middle school, Noah has developed a real connection to community service and plans to continue volunteering when he can.
Focused on service, Noah Loyola Renfeldt joins hundreds of volunteers to pack nutritious meals for the holidays.
“After volunteering, I always feel like I’ve spent my time in the right place,” he said. “There’s something special about working side by side with my mom, helping other people together. It reminds me that we’re all connected, and that helping each other is just part of being human.”
For more information about Edison International's commitment to giving back, visit edison.com/community.
 joins Edison volunteers on National Family Volunteer Day.=http://energized.staging1.iprdev.com/_gallery/get_file/?file_id=6924e06e3d63326906f0ecab&file_ext=.jpeg&page_id=6924ebe53d6332b0f3f0ec78){kind=link}
