Fighting hunger and food insecurity is a year-round battle, but during the month of September, Hunger Action Month, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank asks its supporters to raise awareness of the daily struggles Los Angeles County residents face when thinking of their next meal.

Hunger Action Month was first launched in 2008 by Feeding America, the nationwide network that connects more than 200 food banks to the more than 46 million people that are food insecure throughout the country. The LA Regional Food Bank is a member of Feeding America.

Continue reading to learn six ways to get involved, and start making an impact in your community.

1. Donate

The Food Bank relies on the generosity of the community to help the thousands of families struggling with food insecurity. You can give a one-time donation or monthly donation that will go a long way for someone in need.

Did you know that in 2020, 98.6% of the Food Bank’s revenue went directly to our programs and services that serve 900,000 people each month? That means that your donation goes a long way to alleviate food insecurity for the 1 in 5 residents that are in need. The Food Bank also offers a variety of ways to give:

• Donate monthly > Just $23 per month helps provide a year’s worth of food to someone in need.
• Donate stock > Donating stock is a great way to support the Food Bank since it can be helpful from a tax perspective. 
• Donate a vehicle > Old cars can be a pain to deal with, but donating to the Food Bank is an easy and productive way to get rid of unwanted vehicles.
• Submit a one-time donation

2. WeFeedLA Fundraiser

In a time where practically everything has gone virtual, the Food Bank offers virtual fundraisers, food drives and celebrations that are easy to set up, and can be completed and shared straight from your phone.

You can also make the Food Bank the recipient of your Facebook Birthday Fundraiser, just like Phil Clapick from Woodland Hills.

Every $25 raised helps us provide 100 meals to our neighbors in need. To learn more, please visit our WeFeedLA homepage. 

3. Volunteer

While there are many volunteer opportunities in LA County, the Food Bank is considered to be among the top places to volunteer in the County. Giving a few hours of your time will help the Food Bank reach over 2 million food-insecure individuals.

Volunteers help out by boxing, sorting and gleaning food that is later distributed through our network of more than 700 agency partners to our neighbors in need. While there are individual volunteers that come in to help, the Food Bank can also arrange for small and large groups of volunteers.

We have also welcomed more than a few familiar faces. Read more about the celebrity volunteers that have donated their time to the Food Bank.

To learn more about donating your time to the Food Bank, visit our volunteer website to find the next available date.

4. Take a Food Bank Tour

The best way to fully immerse yourself into learning how the Food Bank works is by seeing firsthand our day-to-day operations and visiting our facilities through a tour. The Food Bank offers in-person or virtual tours of our facilities, including the new City of Industry warehouse. Learn more about Food Bank tours.

To learn more about donating your time to the Food Bank, visit our volunteer website to find the next available date.

5. Reduce Food Waste

Did you know that 30 to 40 percent of the food supply is wasted in the United States? In fact, the average American adult wastes approximately $2,000 annually on food that never gets eaten. Sometimes this occurs when more food is purchased than can reasonably be consumed in time, but very often food waste is a result of not knowing how long food lasts or what the date labels on food packaging really mean. Data show that 1/3 of all food waste is caused by individuals when they eat out or eat at home. Growing and raising food is a very energy and water-intensive project, and discarded food creates greenhouse gases harmful to our environment. Thousands of tons go to waste each year from uneaten food, both at home and when dining out.

Learn more about different ways to save our planet and reduce food insecurity – at the same time! You can also download our Shelf Life Guide or learn more about our Extra Helpings Program.

6. Follow Us and Subscribe

Make sure to follow the Food Bank on all of its social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Liking, retweeting and sharing our content helps us spread the word about food insecurity in LA County on a larger scale.