Los Angeles, Calif. (Sept. 6, 2024) – Today, on the heels of the USDA’s Annual Household Food Security 2023 Report, released on Sept. 4, food banks across the state are discussing food insecurity data for California and analyzing trends that cross state borders, all of which point to sustained hunger and hardship. It’s no different in Los Angeles County.

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A sobering 30% of County residents may be grappling with food insecurity, reports a USC Dornsife study. 

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has distributed 82 million pounds of food and grocery products, the equivalent of 66 million meals in the first eight months of 2024 – a ten percent increase compared to 2023. 

“The demand for food assistance throughout Los Angeles County remains significantly higher than it was before the COVID-19 outbreak,” said President and CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Michael Flood. “Due to the high cost of living locally and cumulative impact of higher food prices, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and our partners continue to respond to families and individuals seeking food assistance, highlighting the persistent challenges of food and nutrition insecurity.

Food banks are rallying to raise awareness of this ongoing hunger crisis and advocating for continued State support, including: 

• maintaining CalFood funding at $60 million annually – a vital program that enables food banks to purchase California grown and produced foods.
• calling on Governor Newsom to sign the master plan to end hunger AB 1961 (Wicks) which is on his desk right now.

“Food insecurity rates similar to that which we saw in the early months of the pandemic persist in California. This data is an ever present call to action for food banks across the state to continue to serve an ongoing crisis, and calls our government leaders to sustain support for food banks while enacting systemic solutions that shorten their lines. said Stacia Levenfeld, CEO of California Association of Food Banks. “The data our team at California Association of Food Banks publishes each month provides a timely, accurate estimate of food insecurity in California.”

 Collectively, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank with our 40 partner food banks in the California Association of Food Banks, our network served more than 6 million Californians each month last year.