CHARITABLE FOOD DISTRIBUTION INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY
Nearly One Million Los Angeles County
Residents Received Food Assistance from Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens
and Shelters during 2009
LOS
ANGELES, CA February 2, 2010 - A new study published by the Los
Angeles Regional Foodbank today reports that a record 983,400 Los
Angeles County residents received food assistance from food
pantries, soup kitchens and shelters served by the Foodbank in 2009.
This total represents nearly 1 in 10 residents of Los Angeles
County. Children comprise 40 percent of people receiving food
assistance and seniors comprise 5 percent as an estimated 393,000
kids and 49,000 seniors benefited from food distributed by the
Foodbank over the course of the year.
The Foodbank’s study "Hunger In
Los Angeles County 2010" was released today in conjunction with survey
results collected by food banks throughout the U.S. and compiled at
the national level by Feeding America. The national and local
results provide the most comprehensive snapshot of the charitable
food assistance network to date.
Comparing the results of this survey to a similar survey conducted
four years ago, Foodbank President Michael Flood stated that, “Even
though food pantries and other agencies are serving more people than
ever. These agencies are also reporting the need for more food and
other resources to meet the growing demand due primarily to the high
unemployment rate.” An estimated 584,300 residents of Los Angeles
County are unemployed, and the current 12 percent unemployment rate
has more than doubled since four years ago.
The new study, based on 451 face-to-face interviews with clients at
food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters, as well as 363 surveys of
the volunteers and staff who manage food programs, shows that in Los
Angeles County:
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The total number
of people receiving food assistance has increased by 46
percent since 2005 from 674,100 people annually to 983,400
people in 2009. |
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The number of
children receiving food assistance has more than doubled
from 185,000 in 2005 to 393,000 children in 2009. |
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Health problems
are one indicator of need as 30 percent of households have
at least one member in poor health. In addition, 35 percent
of adult recipients do not have health insurance. |
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While 37 percent
of households include at least one employed adult,
two-thirds of these adults are working part-time while only
one-third of the adults are working full-time. |
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For adults
currently working or who have worked before, 20 percent have
held managerial or professional jobs during their career. |
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More than
one-quarter of adults (27%) have a college or technical
school education although 44% of clients do not have a high
school diploma; |
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Families and
individuals face difficult economic decisions when
attempting to meet their basic needs as 48 percent report
having to choose between paying for food and paying for
utilities, 46 percent choosing between food and rent, and 42
percent between food and transportation. |
To view the full
study, visit
www.lafoodbank.org/stats.htm.
"Residents in LA
County who are faced with a lack of financial security often find
themselves with a lack of food security as well. This means that
many turn to less expensive foods such as fast food or pre-packaged
foods with low nutritional value. What seems like a food bargain is
hardly a bargain over the long haul when it comes to one's health,"
said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health and County Health Officer. "Poor
nutrition is a leading cause of many of the major killers in our
society, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many types of
cancer. The LA Regional Foodbank and other local pantries are
seeking to address these issues by providing better quality, more
nutritious foods that will ease the strains of chronic illness and
reduce healthcare costs."
For the agency survey, the median length
of operation for the food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters
served by the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank is 15 years, and these
agencies rely heavily on volunteers to administer their food
programs. In addition to distributing food, many agencies offer
other services such as health services, employment training and
clothing distribution. More than 49 percent of food pantries report
“problems with funding” while 42 percent of food pantries and 30
percent of soup kitchens report “problems with food supplies.”
Client satisfaction is high as 94 percent of recipients said that
they were either “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with the
amount of food that they received from their provider, while 91
percent were satisfied with the variety of the food they received.
“People are probably surprised to hear that nearly one in ten LA
County residents now seek charitable food assistance,” stated
Foodbank President Michael Flood, “and it is critical that both
charitable and government programs continue to receive support in
order to help hungry people.” Flood added, “Everyone can do
something to fight hunger whether it is volunteering, donating food
or funding, advocating for sound public policy or helping in other
ways.”
The Los Angeles Regional Foodbank is a non-profit,
charitable organization established in 1973 and is one of the
largest food banks in the United States. Through a network of 544
charitable agencies providing service from 902 agency sites, the
Foodbank supplies enough food for 750,000 meals each week throughout
Los Angeles County. The Foodbank is a partner with Feeding America.
For more information, visit
http://www.lafoodbank.org
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