The fight against food insecurity is one of Los Angeles County’s most urgent battles. Before the pandemic, one in five of our neighbors did not know where their next meal was coming from, and LA County is home to more food-insecure children than any other county in the United States. The economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation has made matters even worse for the already-vulnerable individuals and families who call LA County home.
Building Hope
BUILDING HOPE
The Campaign for a Brighter Future
OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR GOAL OF $165,000,000
Dear Friend,
View More >
Food is foundational – it is critical – and it has been our core work for 50 years. The nutritious food provided by the LA Regional Food Bank and our more than 600 partner agencies helps children learn, provides security to older adults, and gives hope to individuals and families in our community. Even after increasing the number of people we help each month to 800,000 monthly, we are still, unfortunately, not reaching everyone in LA County who needs us.
When the Food Bank launched Building Hope: The Campaign for a Brighter Future to raise $165 million, we expected to meet this goal in five years. However, the generosity of the community has been astonishing, and we have exceeded our goal one year early. This would not have been possible without the leadership of our dedicated Board of Directors and the generosity of our donors.
The funds raised in this campaign will provide the support necessary to increase the volume of food provided in LA County, further reduce food waste, and increase the number of people that we reach each month, ideally until our vision is achieved: that no one goes hungry in LA County. Your financial pledge helped us achieve our goal of building hope and creating a brighter future.
To meet the ever-increasing demand for our services, the Food Bank acquired a 256,000 sq.ft. building in the City of Industry. The acquisition, made in August 2020, was essential and allows us to expand programs and increase operational efficiency and storage capacity. This expansion was necessary even before the COVID-19 pandemic and is all the more important now.
While we have made tremendous progress, there is still more to be done. You are an essential part of our work to provide more food to those in need than ever before.
Sincerely,
Michael Flood
President and Chief Executive Officer
Los Angeles County’s State-of-the-Art Food Bank
The new facility will provide help to more people than ever before. It will allow the Food Bank to continue to expand essential programs that combat food insecurity and hunger.
Initial renovations include structural upgrades to the facility’s foundation in order to build a first-rate Food Bank featuring:
Volunteer Center
Hundreds of thousands of volunteers participate each year at the Food Bank to help neighbors in need.
Nutrition Center
Nutrition education is at the forefront of building awareness of the impact of a healthy diet.
Refrigerated Loading Dock
Essential for providing access to and storing fresh, perishable and frozen food.
New Fleet of Delivery Trucks
Ensures food is transported throughout LA County to serve those facing food insecurity.
Partner Agency Network
Increased warehouse space for the redistribution of rescued food to our network of partners.
Facility Renovation
The facility renovations will substantially increase storage capacity, decrease food waste, optimize energy efficiency, and increase operational productivity.
The plan highlights:
Construction of 40,000 sq. ft. of cooler and freezer space
Construction of pallet racking and production areas
Construction of loading dock, featuring 20 dock positions
Installation of solar panels & LED lighting
Partner Agency Network
80%
Food distributed through partners
600+
Partner agencies in LA County
110
Million pounds of food distributed
Increased Capacity
The new facility will dramatically improve the Food Bank’s operations and increase our capacity through agency partnerships and direct distributions. Eighty percent of the food distributed is through our network of more than 600 partner agencies, such as food pantries, churches, shelters, senior centers and schools.
COVID-19 Response
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Food Bank provided millions of meals via hundreds of emergency relief drive-thru distributions. In 2022, the Food Bank distributed 110 million pounds of food – the equivalent of 88 million meals. Long-term financial impact of the pandemic weighs heavily on low-income communities.
This facility is key to the Food Bank’s long-term master plan, which will accommodate planned growth projections through 2035. Renovations are underway and are expected to be complete in 2023.
LA County's Most Vulnerable
2 million
Pre-COVID-19, 2 million people faced food insecurity in LA County, including more than 570,000 children.
7,500
Since the pandemic, drive-thru distributions have reached up to 7,500 households per event
800,000
Each month, the Food Bank reaches 800,000 individuals facing food insecurity, compared to 300,000 before the pandemic
Disproportionate Impact
There has been an incredible increase in demand for emergency food assistance since the pandemic.
View More
Many individuals and families – who have never sought help for food assistance – are now requiring Food Bank services. The increased need is in direct correlation to the high unemployment rate. The lack of jobs is devastating economically disadvantaged communities – leaving many disproportionately impacted by this ongoing crisis. In partnership with more than 600 agencies, the Food Bank continues to remove barriers to individual and community wellness by providing access to healthy food for all.
Environmental Focus
The Food Bank is committed to sustainable solutions to protect the environment we all share and our low-income communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.
View More
The new facility, located in the City of Industry, will adhere to sound practices that will enhance our ability to mobilize resources to fight hunger. Recycling, organic composting and waste management will be at the forefront of day-to-day operations. To further enhance sustainability measures at the new facility and to achieve a high standard of energy efficiency, solar panels and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting will be installed.
Hunger Affects Old and Young Alike
While fixed-income seniors, people with disabilities and low-income families are the most visible examples of people who struggle, hunger does not stop there.
View More
Hunger affects all groups of people regardless of education level, employment status or ethnicity. Due to high costs of living, transportation and especially housing in Los Angeles County, many people who work– even families with two incomes – often can’t make ends meet or put enough good food on the table.
You’re invited to take part in
Building Hope:
The Campaign for a Brighter Future
Your participation will provide the support needed to construct a State-of-the-Art Food Distribution Center and expand education programs that inspire nutritious diets and healthier life choices.
Each naming opportunity offers you and your family a chance to make a lasting difference and a positive impact in the lives of people facing food insecurity and hunger. Pledges up to five years are accepted.
Campaign Goal
$165 Million
You Can Make an Impact
Make a lasting tribute by contributing to BUILDING HOPE: The Campaign for a Brighter Future. You can make a positive impact by fighting food insecurity and hunger.
If you are considering contributing to the Building Hope campaign, we would be happy to confidentially discuss your plans. Pledges up to five years are accepted.
Please contact Roger Castle, Chief Development Officer, at rcastle@lafoodbank.org or (323) 234-3030 ext.147.
Benefactor Levels
Your name will be prominently displayed on the donor wall in the lobby of the new Food Bank.
Visionary
$1,000,000
Champion
$500,000
Advocate
$250,000
Guardian
$100,000
Supporter
$50,000
Collaborator
$25,000
Friend
$10,000
Capital Naming Rights
Naming Rights to New Building
$40,000,000
Exterior Recognition
The most impactful and visible gift of the campaign – a true legacy gift. The building will be named as designated by the donor.
Loading Dock and Food Receiving Area
$20,000,000
Exterior Recognition
The Loading Dock, located on the north side of the building, is the access point for all inbound food and for out-bound food deliveries. The Loading Dock and Food Receiving Area will feature twenty loading docks – a significant expansion for the Food Bank!
Operations Center and Inventory Control
$15,000,000
Exterior Recognition
The Hub, also known as the Operations Center and Inventory Control, will track up to $250M worth of food and product annually, including food donated by retailers, manufacturers, food service companies and farmers, USDA commodities and food purchased by the Food Bank.
Fresh and Perishable Foods Expansion
$10,000,000
A refrigerated box is being constructed to increase the Food Bank’s capacity to handle the essentials of a healthy diet – fresh produce, dairy and other perishable foods.
Frozen Foods Expansion
$10,000,000
A freezer is being constructed to increase capacity to efficiently store frozen foods and meals.
Environmental and Sustainability Solutions
$10,000,000
A Sustainability Station will be built at the new facility – an area for recycling, organic composting and waste management. Solar panels and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting will be installed to achieve a high standard of energy efficiency.
Refrigerated Loading Area
$5,000,000
The refrigerated loading area is a new feature and upgrade for the Food Bank and will create more efficiency in the transfer of large volumes of frozen and fresh foods.
Transportation Center
$5,000,000
The Transportation Center is key to managing and navigating the Food Bank’s fleet of trucks to keep food pick-ups and distributions running efficiently.
Volunteer Center
$1,000,000
COMMITTED: Goodman Family Foundation
More than 15,000 volunteers – made up of compassionate individuals, families and children, corporate teams and affinity groups – participate in volunteer opportunities to help our neighbors each year.
Food Rescue Center
$1,000,000
COMMITTED: S. Mark Taper Foundation
Area for volunteers to glean and sort donated food, preventing perfectly good nutritious food from becoming food waste.
Food Production Area
$1,000,000
Three production lines for food kitting for our senior nutrition program and for our emergency food kit production.
Welcome Lobby
$1,000,000
The Food Bank’s lobby will be the point of entry to the state-of-the-art facility for partners, donors, employees, volunteers and other constituents.
Conference Center
$1,000,000
COMMITTED: Don and Lorraine Freeberg Foundation
The Food Bank will have a conference center that consists of several conference and media rooms for nutrition education training, policy meetings, agency training and convening other constituent groups to help in the fight against hunger in our community.
Agency Resource Center
$1,000,000
The Agency Resource Center will be used for providing support to our more than 600 agency partners who are on the front line in the fight against hunger.
Truck Fleet
$500,000 each
The Food Bank’s fleet of refrigerated trucks ensures food is transported from food donors and to agencies and program distribution sites. A $500,000 naming opportunity includes 5 years of operating support and donor recognition on one new truck.
Loading Docks
$250,000 each
This opportunity provides the donor to name one loading dock. Loading docks are essential access points for all inbound food and for out-bound food deliveries.
Program Naming Opportunities
Children’s Nutrition Program
$10,000,000
To ensure that food-insecure children in Los Angeles County have the nutritious food they need to grow, learn and thrive, the Food Bank operates several Children’s Nutrition Programs. A $10M gift will support these programs for 5 years.
Senior Nutrition Program
$5,000,000
COMMITTED: Anonymous Donor
Older adults are a vulnerable population in need of food assistance, and the Food Bank operates programs that provide critical food assistance to seniors. A $5M gift will support these programs for five years.
Endowment
$5,000,000
The Food Bank’s Endowment ensures that the Food Bank has the funding to maintain our facilities. A $5M gift will result in a named endowment for the donor.
Partner Agency Network
$5,000,000
Increased warehouse space and resources are needed to redistribute rescued food to our network of partners, particularly in these Service Planning Areas: Antelope Valley, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, Metro Los Angeles, Westside, South Los Angeles, East Los Angeles and South Bay. A gift of $5M will support food distribution to one Service Planning Area for 5 years.
How Can We Help?
If you are considering contributing to the Building Hope campaign, we would be happy to confidentially discuss your plans. In considering any type of gift, we encourage you to work with your legal and financial advisors to determine the best option for you.
Please contact Roger Castle, Chief Development Officer, at rcastle@lafoodbank.org or (323) 234-3030 ext.147 if you have any questions about a contribution or would like to arrange a meeting.
Campaign News & Events
BUILDING HOPE - OPEN HOUSE
The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank hosts an Open House of the new space from May 17 – May 21 from 11am to 2 pm and you are invited.