2021 Impact Report
Read our Impact Report to learn more about how the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank continues to serve food-insecure families throughout LA County.
Thanks to your support in 2021, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and our partner agencies were able to provide food to
900,000 People
each month.
2021 Philanthropic Impact Report
With your generous support, in 2021, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank provided 131 million pounds of food and other products to at-risk children, seniors, adults and families in Los Angeles County. Participants received enough nutritious food for approximately 107 million meals. A generous $25,000 donation provided the equivalent of 100,000 meals, significantly improving the lives of the most vulnerable members of our community.
Your support for the Food Bank is critical.
Thank you for making a difference for people throughout LA County who struggle with food insecurity.
40,891
Financial
Donors
131 million
pounds of food and Product distributed
107 million
Meals provided to those in need
$25 = 100 Meals
Each $25 donated helped provide 100 meals to children, seniors, individuals and families throughout Los Angeles County.
Your participation allowed the Food Bank and our partner agencies to provide nutritious food to people throughout Los Angeles County and continue our pandemic relief efforts as our community continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
To see the impact of your gifts, please visit LAFoodBank.org/stories >
With your support, the Food Bank achieved the following outcomes in 2021:
The CalFresh Outreach Program helped eligible low-income individuals and families gain access to nutritious food through the California Department of Social Services CalFresh Program. We assisted clients in submitting 956 CalFresh applications.
We conducted Mobile Food Pantry distributions in accessible locations across Los Angeles County, including Drive-Through Food Distributions that served thousands of households. In total, the Mobile Food Pantry Program distributed 11 million pounds of nutritious food to over 200,000 people, enough for approximately 9 million meals.
The Extra Helpings Program rescued millions of pounds of food that would otherwise go to waste and distributed it to those in need. In 2021, Extra Helpings connected 165 partner agencies to donated food from 500 local donors, such as grocery stores, restaurants and bakeries. Agencies rescued 22.5 million pounds of food for distribution to those in need.
We increased access to nutritious food in underserved communities by supplying food and products to our network of more than 600 partner agencies. Our partners include food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers, youth centers, homeless shelters, faith-based organizations, and community colleges, among others. In addition to food, we distributed 3.7 million pounds of essential items such as diapers and hygiene products, helping participants meet their basic needs.
The Nutrition Education Program promoted healthy eating and lifestyle choices through engaging classes, activities and outreach. The Food Bank’s Health Educators conducted live online recipe demonstrations and nutrition classes attended by 560 pantry participants. In addition to live classes, we recorded 47 recipe videos in English and Spanish featuring simple, healthy ingredients. The videos are available on the Food Bank’s YouTube channel.
Children's Nutrition Programs
Program Snapshot:
In 2021, the Food Bank provided healthy breakfasts, after-school meals, lunches, grocery kits and fresh produce to 16,000 food-insecure children at more than 80 sites throughout Los Angeles County.
Our Children’s Nutrition Programs included:
The Afterschool Meal and Summer Lunch Programs distributed 2.3 million prepared meals to children in need, including healthy breakfasts, lunches, and after-school meals.
The BackPack Program provided grocery kits containing 168,510 pounds of nutritious food to at-risk children at high-need schools in the Los Angeles and Compton Unified School Districts.
The Children’s Breakfast Program distributed kits containing 435,936 pounds of healthy breakfast foods such as oatmeal, pancake mix, and dried fruit, more than doubling the outcomes for the previous year.
Client Voices
The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the challenges faced by low-income families, leaving many unable to afford the food they need. In response, the Food Bank expanded operations to serve more than 800,000 people each month in 2021, compared to 300,000 per month before the pandemic began. At a recent food distribution, a participant named Jacqueline shared her experience: “At the beginning of the pandemic, I was unemployed for a while. It hurt me financially.”
Fortunately, Jacqueline found help from the Food Bank, including food and diapers for her infant daughter. “I’m a single mother living on my own and the diaper and food assistance has helped cut down costs for me,” Jacqueline told us. “I’m extremely thankful and grateful for the support and help. This helps a lot of families, especially low-income families like myself.”
Senior Nutrition Programs
Program Snapshot:
In 2021, the Food Bank’s Senior Nutrition Programs distributed 11.7 million pounds of nutritious food to more than 91,000 low-income seniors and vulnerable older adults across Los Angeles County.
Program Activities Included:
Delivering groceries directly to the homes of food-insecure seniors, with help from delivery partners as well as our own vehicles and drivers.
Providing food to over 100 senior-focused partner agencies, including senior centers and senior housing sites. In addition to supplying food, we supported our partner agencies with equipment such as cold storage, expanding agencies’ capacity to help more seniors in need over the years to come.
Client Voices
Amy Browne is one of the thousands of seniors who receive nutritious food from the Food Bank. She shared her experience with us during a recent food distribution. “Because of inflation, food has become very expensive at the grocery, especially meat,” she told us.
“I always look forward to coming here because you can find stuff that you cannot afford to purchase at the grocery store. I can make very nice salads, and you can get chicken. It helps you prepare very balanced and delicious meals.” Thanks to support from partners like you, Amy now has access to the nutritious food she needs to maintain her health and lead an active lifestyle while avoiding hunger.
Spotlight on Nutrition
Across our programs, the Food Bank prioritizes providing nutritious food to our participants, including items like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and lean proteins.
20%
Fresh Produce
In 2021, one fifth of the food distributed was fresh produce.
96%
Nutritious Food
A majority of the food we distributed was rated as nutritious according to the USDA-based nutrition ranking system CHOP (Choose Healthy Options Program).
26 M
Pounds of Food
Over 26 million pounds of fresh produce was distributed through our direct programs and our partner agencies, providing families and individuals access to this critical source of nutrition.
Formerly a healthcare worker,
Kari is one of the one million LA County residents who seek help from the Food Bank in meeting their nutritional needs.
Read Kari's Story
“The Food Bank helps me out quite a bit. We get a lot of nutritious vegetables and salads, so that really helps out a lot, especially when our budget is so tight right now. Food in the store has increased quite severely.”
“If you can’t afford to eat salads and other nutritious type foods, then you fall back on the more processed type food, which isn’t as healthy.” Thanks to donors like you, now Kari and her family can eat a healthy, balanced diet. She says of the Food Bank, “I love everything that they’re doing and I appreciate it.”
Update:
The Building Hope Campaign
The Food Bank has currently raised $145 million through our comprehensive Building Hope Campaign, 88% of the four-year goal of $165 million.
To increase our distribution, we have purchased new trucks, hired new warehouse and programs team members, and increased our direct food distribution, including home delivery for our most vulnerable clients. We have also purchased a 256,000 square-foot facility located in the City of Industry to accommodate this increase in volume.
We are now renovating the building to create a state-of-the-art food distribution center. We are currently in the first two phases of the building improvements, which include:
Phase 1:
Ambient Storage Racking and Warehouse Improvements
Phase 2:
Volunteer Center, Production Kit and Food Rescue Areas, and Conference Center
Phase 3:
Cooler, Freezer, and Cold Dock
Phase 4:
Solar and Sustainability
Los Angeles County is home to more than two million food-insecure individuals and families. The completion of these renovations will significantly increase the Food Bank’s distribution capacity and our efficiency, expanding our reach and advancing our vision that no one goes hungry in our community.
To discuss the Building Hope Campaign or schedule a virtual or in-person tour of the new facility, please contact Chief Development Officer Roger Castle at (323) 234-3030 x147 or rcastle@lafoodbank.org.
Thank You
The Food Bank deeply appreciates your partnership and support for our work to fight hunger in Los Angeles County. Your generosity enables the Food Bank to provide nutritious food to thousands of people in need every day, dramatically improving the lives of those facing hunger. On behalf of the children, seniors, adults and families we serve, thank you for partnering with the Food Bank to create a hunger-free community.
“Thank you for your support throughout 2021 as the Food Bank team continued our essential work, providing much-needed food assistance to people throughout all of LA County. As a nonprofit organization, your support is what makes our work possible.”
— Michael Flood, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank