LOS ANGELES, CA— December 9, 2022 — The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s 20th Annual Season for Sharing, presented by Ralphs/Food 4 Less, was held on December 8 at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles. Throughout the luncheon, the Food Bank honored donors, individuals, and organizations that have made impactful contributions to the fight against hunger in LA County.

“The past few years have been difficult as the economic impact of COVID-19 and inflation have negatively impacted access to nutritious food, especially for disadvantaged or vulnerable members of our community,” says LA Regional Food Bank President and CEO Michael Flood. “The people and organizations we recognize at our annual Season for Sharing event have made major contributions in the fight against hunger and dramatically improved life for people all over LA County.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF), whose mission is to improve education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all Angelenos, received the Community Partner Award. As longtime supporters of the Food Bank and part of the 2022 All-Star Legacy Initiative, LADF donated funds to the Food Bank to help provide food and nutrition assistance to LA County families in need. Furthermore, several Dodgers and Major League Baseball members volunteered at the Food Bank during the summer to prepare food kits for the Food Bank’s BackPack Program, which provides food to students during summer months when school meals aren’t available.

The Fighting Hunger, Giving Hope award is presented to a community member who has gone above and beyond in helping us work until we reach our vision that no one goes hungry in LA County. This year’s recipient is Cheryl Kunin Fair. Fair has been advocating for hunger relief for many years as her role as the President and General Manager of KABC-TV, the ABC-owned local television station in LA. The Feed SoCal campaign, the annual food drive that has provided millions of pounds of food over the course of 11 years, was created with huge thanks to Fair’s involvement. The month-long hunger initiative plays out in a large, on-air food drive where food and financial campaigns are collected for the LA Regional and other Southern California Food Banks. This year, Feed SoCal was able to provide more than 3 million meals for families in need.

Each year, a Food Bank partner agency is selected and is awarded the Tony Collier Award for providing exceptional support and assistance to its community. The Food Bank is proud to honor the Executive Director of Central City Neighborhood Partners (CCNP), Margarita Alvarez Gomez. Since 2000, CCNP has been a community pillar, providing access to free services through a collaborative model and enhancing the quality of life for underserved households throughout the City and County of Los Angeles. CCNP offers essential services, including food and nutrition assistance. In 2021 alone, CCNP distributed over 676,000 lbs. of food and served more than 69,000 people.

Whitney Jones Roy, Chair of the LA Regional Food Bank’s Board of Directors, was honored with the Dennis Winston Memorial Leadership Award. Roy has served on the Board of the Food Bank since 2013 and has led the Food Bank as Chair of the Board for the past three years. Roy has been a significant advocate, generous financial supporter and great leader of the LA Regional Food Bank. Roy was recognized by Law360 as a “Female Powerbroker,” recognized among the Top Women Attorneys in Los Angeles in 2020 by the Los Angeles Business Journal and named one of the top 100 Women Lawyers in California by the Daily Journal in 2014.

Thomas Safran & Associates (TSA) were recognized for their notable engagement in hunger relief and were this year’s Partners Making a Difference Award recipients. TSA donated more than $150,000 to the Food Bank as part of the company’s “Big Give” Campaign. The Campaign began in August when TSA employees were encouraged to raise funds and collect food items over four weeks. The company then brought 250 employees and residents, to the City of Industry warehouse to help assemble food kits for distribution.

This year’s Community Spirit Award went to Antelope Valley Partners for Health (AVPH). Serving the most vulnerable and underserved population, AVPH is committed to educating, strengthening, and advocating for the community through services and partnerships, achieving optimal health and quality of life for families in the Antelope Valley.

About the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has been mobilizing resources to fight hunger in Los Angeles County since 1973. To support the Food Bank’s vision that no one goes hungry in Los Angeles County, food and grocery products are distributed through a network of 600+ partner agencies and through Food Bank programs serving 800,000 people monthly. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Food Bank tripled the number of people reached every month. The Food Bank is a 4-star rated charity by Charity Navigator. For more information, visit LAFoodBank.org.