LOS ANGELES, CA (January 8, 2024) – The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank announced that it will continue to address food and nutrition insecurity in Los Angeles County with an Equitable Food Access Grant from Starbucks. The Food Bank will use this grant to engage local communities in identifying and addressing racial disparities and supporting interventions to overcome common barriers to food access. The grant will also help the Food Bank and its partner agency network continue to make data-informed decisions and adjust food access programming based on community feedback.   

In collaboration with Feeding America and Starbucks, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and its partner agencies have been working to provide equitable access to nutritious food for marginalized communities, specifically Black, Indigenous and People of Color facing hunger. Starbucks’ food access grant will help the Food Bank continue addressing hunger in LA County and provide more nutritious meals to those in need. 

“We are very grateful for this ongoing support, which underscores our collaboration to enhance access to nutritious food for marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous and People of Color residing in communities disproportionately affected by food and nutrition insecurity. With this support, we can continue to make significant strides towards a more equitable and nourished future for all,” states Michael Flood, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

“For the last 50 years and still today, Starbucks believes it is our role and responsibility to help strengthen the communities we serve, and in partnership with Feeding America, we are tackling hunger with a focus on equity,” said Michael Kobori, vice president of Sustainability & Social Impact at Starbucks. “The equitable food access grants are a unique opportunity to combine efforts with our Community Stores across the country – which are designed to support historically under-resourced communities through local partnerships and economic opportunity – to increase access to nutritious food for people that need it most. We are proud to have reached this momentous milestone and of the impact these food banks are making.”  

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, a partner of the Feeding America® network, is one of 16 food banks to receive this third grant from Starbucks.  The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank was identified based on the location of a Starbucks Community Store, which is committed to economic development and opportunity in historically under-resourced communities. Since 2016, Starbucks has helped to provide more than 50 million meals* to people facing hunger through its FoodShare program in partnership with Feeding America. 

To learn more about how you can help end hunger, visit LAFoodBank.org.

*According to the USDA, 1.2 pounds is the equivalent to one meal.

About the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has been fighting hunger in Los Angeles County since 1973 and has distributed the equivalent of more than 1 billion meals across our community. The Food Bank provides food to more than 870,000 food-insecure children, families, seniors and individuals on a monthly basis through direct program and partner agency distributions. To support the vision that no one goes hungry in Los Angeles County, food and products are distributed through a network of more than 600 partner agencies. The Food Bank’s Children’s Nutrition Programs, Senior Nutrition Program and Mobile Food Pantry reach thousands directly on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is a 4-star rated charity by Charity Navigator. For more information, visit LAFoodBank.org.