Blanca and Silvia may not know each other, but life’s circumstances have led both to receive food assistance at the Food Bank’s Mobile Food Pantry at Long Beach City College.

Food insecurity can affect anyone. While the reasons people seek food assistance may differ, the need is the same: access to nutritious food that helps individuals and families make it through difficult times.

Across Los Angeles County, families are facing rising grocery prices, increasing housing costs, and unexpected life changes that stretch already tight budgets. Some are balancing school and work. Others are caring for loved ones with special needs. Many are coping with the loss of income after a job change, illness, or the death of a family member. These circumstances often force people to make impossible choices between buying food and paying for other basic necessities.

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s Mobile Food Pantry program helps meet these needs by bringing nutritious food directly to communities, including college campuses such as Long Beach City College. By making food more accessible, the program helps neighbors overcome temporary hardships while building greater stability for themselves and their families.

Different Circumstances, Shared Need

For Blanca, attending English classes led her to discover a Food Bank Mobile Food Pantry distribution that has become an important source of support for her family.

“I saw the opportunity to attend this food distribution,” Blanca shared. “It helps me a lot because that way I can get organized and buy other things that I might not otherwise be able to afford.”

Blanca is raising a family of three, including a child with special needs. For families caring for children with additional needs, household budgets can be especially challenging. Medical care, specialized services, and everyday expenses quickly add up, making food assistance an essential resource that allows caregivers to focus on their loved ones instead of worrying about their next grocery bill.

“I’m picking up food because it’s very useful to me at home because food is expensive,” she said. “What I would buy at the store, I get here, and with that I pay other expenses.”

Recently, Silvia experienced the heartbreaking loss of her husband, the only person in her household of four with income. For many households, the loss of income can make everyday necessities more difficult to afford.

Every month, the Food Bank helps provide food assistance to more than one million individuals through its network of partner agencies and direct and indirect distributions. Behind every person in line at distributions is a unique story. Some neighbors are raising children. Others are students working toward a better future. Some are older adults living on fixed incomes, while others are navigating the loss of a job, a spouse, or another unexpected hardship.

No matter the circumstance, every person deserves access to nutritious food and the dignity that comes with knowing their family will have enough to eat. If you are in a position to do so, consider making a donation to the Food Bank today and having a positive impact in someone’s life.