Munger, Tolles & Olson Named Top Food From The Bar Fundraiser in 2023 Campaigns in Los Angeles and San Francisco
Munger, Tolles & Olson was once again named the overall grand champion of the 2023 Food From The Bar campaigns in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Since LA’s Food From The Bar began in 2009, the annual, month-long fundraiser and volunteering effort has raised more than $6 million and continues to be an integral campaign for helping local children and families facing food insecurity in Los Angeles County during the summer months.
The campaign is structured as a friendly competition amongst law firms, law schools and legal offices to see who can raise the most money and volunteer the most hours at their local Feeding America-affiliated food bank. MTO has regularly participated by raising funds and volunteering since the campaign’s launch.
Throughout the month of May, the MTO offices hosted various fundraising events, including a Mother’s Day Boutique, Thanks-A-Latte Appreciation Days, The Munger Games, the firm’s annual trivia contest, silent and live auctions, a bake sale and more. In addition, over $6,000 was raised by MTO’s professional staff when they elected to forego a staff appreciation gift and instead donated the gift’s monetary value to local food banks. Attorneys and staff also participated in volunteer events at their local food banks, where they helped sort, weigh and package produce for distribution.
MTO’s Food From The Bar campaign across all three offices was organized and led by co-chairs Kathleen McDowell, Jessica Laird, Erica Tooch and Shoeba Hassan (Los Angeles); Andre Brewster and Rachel Schiff (San Francisco); and Kathleen Foley, Elissa Walter, Helen White and Christina Weber (Washington, D.C.).
This year marks the sixth consecutive year the firm’s Los Angeles office has received the Overall Award for accumulating the most points from monetary donations during the campaign. MTO was also second, behind only the UCLA School of Law, for total number of volunteer shifts completed as a team.
In total, the 2023 Los Angeles Food From The Bar campaign raised $548,983 for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, which exceeded the $540,000 goal. The 56 participating law firms and companies completed a total of 473 volunteer shifts and sorted 693 pounds of food.
In San Francisco, Food From The Bar raised a total of $453,546 for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. This was the seventh time the San Francisco MTO office was named the top fundraiser.
In Washington, D.C., a total of $545,489 was raised for the Capital Area Food Bank by our Washington, D.C. office and other law firms and legal associations.
“With economic uncertainty and the growing need for food assistance, it is heartening to witness the solidarity of the Los Angeles legal community as they rally behind the Food Bank and our food-insecure neighbors,” said Ms. McDowell, a member of the Food From The Bar steering committee. “Food From The Bar acts as a unifying force amidst the divisions we face, reminding us of the power of coming together. We extend our gratitude to the Food Bank for providing us with this opportunity and for their dedication to serving the Los Angeles community.”