How This Free Food Distribution in Long Beach is Helping Feed Mario’s Family

Mario goes to Adventures to Dreams in Long Beach every third Friday to receive essential food items that help put food on his family’s table.

A man stands outdoors at a market, wearing a gray “eBay Motors” T-shirt. Behind him are blue and white tents, tables, and people—possibly gathered for a mobile food pantry—with trees and a partly cloudy sky in the background. Every third Friday, Mario shows up at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s partner agency, Adventures to Dreams in Long Beach, not just for himself, but for his family. Mario, a retiree living with his wife and a nine-year-old, like so many seniors on fixed incomes, has had to get resourceful. While Mario and his wife study the weekly grocery flyers, comparing prices store to store to chase down the best deals, they have to add a stop at the food distribution just to make ends meet.

That’s why the free food distribution matters so much to him. He estimates the groceries he receives would cost him around $100 if he had to buy them himself. Chicken and fish are his favorites, but it’s the staples, beans and rice, that keep his household fed and stable.

“If it wasn’t for this program, I don’t think we would be able to receive food,” Mario said.

Mario’s story is one of thousands across Los Angeles County. For seniors living on fixed incomes, free food distributions aren’t a convenience; they’re the difference between going without and having enough. Every dollar donated to the Food Bank helps stock distributions like the one at Adventures to Dreams, putting fresh produce, pantry staples, and key protein items into the hands of neighbors like Mario.

Your gift today helps provide free food to seniors, families, and children across Los Angeles County, at no cost to them, no judgment, just a helping hand when it’s needed most.