As of September 2022, Over 100,000 Supporters Have Donated 95% of the $165MM Campaign Goal

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is concluding the Building Hope Campaign at the end of this year and is working to secure campaign gifts and commitments to continue reaching more than 800,000 food insecure individuals in our community each month. We are $10 million away from our goal. This funding will continue to support our increased distribution level and fund the renovations of our new facility. 

Thanks to more than 100,000 donors, the Food Bank has reached 95% of its campaign goal of raising $165MM. Contributions will go toward increasing the volume of food provided in LA County, reducing food waste and increasing the number of people we reach each month. 

The support and funding come at a critical time when the need for food assistance in LA County remains high. The Food Bank now reaches hundreds of thousands of people each month as many low- and middle-income families are impacted by inflation of essentials, including energy and food.

Even before the pandemic, which significantly increased the need for food assistance, the Food Bank was looking for a larger facility to help more people in our community access nutritious food. This new facility in the City of Industry, acquired in August 2020, will allow the Food Bank to expand programs and increase operational efficiency and storage capacity. 

Since the founding of the Food Bank nearly 50 years ago, and with the help of community partners, the Food Bank has distributed more than 1.5 billion meals to food-insecure children, families, older adults and individuals throughout LA County. In 2021 alone, the Food Bank distributed 131 million pounds of food products, the equivalent of 107 million meals.

Construction Update: September 2022

Since the last update, there has been significant progress in constructing the new facility. Food Bank Senior Director of Operations and Logistics, Scott Newton, provides a tour and update. 

The Food Bank is on track to finish the renovations of the new warehouse in early 2023. New LED lighting and fire suppression systems have been installed and pallet racking has been installed in two of the sections of the warehouse. Demolition has been completed on the areas that will become the volunteer center, food rescue center, education center and production areas.

The new facility will be complete with pallet racks, docking bays, cold storage and many other essential features for any state-of-the-art distribution center. To grow and expand alongside the demand for food assistance, the new facility will have more storage capacity, such as more pallet racking for dry and fresh food products. 

Other improvements include a refrigerated dock that will allow the Food Bank to have food products be temperature-controlled, crucial in maintaining freshness. The Volunteer Engagement center is also currently under construction, as Newton explains. Once completed, this is where volunteers will be engaged, assimilated, hold safety training, and have plenty of space between their production shifts. The first construction phase expected to be complete includes pallet racking and forklift chargers. 

Finishing touches are going up on the racking where decking is going in, allowing pallets to sit on the racks safely. The pallet racks are crucial to the Food Bank because they provide the cubic space to be utilized in the building – giving four times as much space. 

The Food Bank has many naming rights for important areas of the new facility including the entire Food Distribution Facility, the Loading Dock and Food Receiving Area, and Operations Center. For more information and a list of all giving opportunities, visit LAFoodBank.org/building-hope. 

Stay tuned for the next update on the new facility as the Food Bank continues with the next phases of construction. This facility helps us complete our essential work, however without the involvement of our donors, volunteers and supporters, we cannot fight hunger. Together, #WeFeedLA.