Los Angeles Regional Food Bank Receives $100K Equitable Food Access Grant from Starbucks to Address Food Insecurity in BIPOC Communities

Los Angeles, August 4, 2021 – The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank received a $100,000 equitable food access grant from Starbucks to help increase access to nutritious food among households with individuals who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) residing in communities experiencing high food insecurity rates in Los Angeles County. The LA Regional Food Bank will use this grant to engage local communities to better understand the barriers to accessing food and will support new or expand existing interventions that can help overcome these obstacles.   

“According to a study from USC, we know that BIPOC communities experience nearly double the rate of food insecurity as White communities,” says Michael Flood, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. “We are proud to work with Starbucks toward our shared goals of addressing the root causes of hunger. With this grant, we’ll be able to continue to identify and address racial disparities in our communities.”

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank provides food and grocery products throughout Los Angeles County via relationships with 700 Partner Agencies and through direct distribution programs. One of the Food Bank’s direct distribution programs is the Mobile Food Pantry (MFP) Program, where food is loaded onto a truck that distributes items in disadvantaged areas, food deserts and other locations where brick-and-mortar pantries are not available.

“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 Camille Hymes, Vice President of Community Impact at Starbucks. “The equitable food access grants are a unique opportunity to combine efforts with our Community Stores across the country, which are specifically designed to support historically under-resourced communities through local partnerships and economic opportunity, to increase access to nutritious meals for those that need it most.” 

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, a member of the Feeding America® network, is one of 16 food banks to receive this funding from Starbucks. The LA Regional Food Bank was identified based on the location of a Starbucks Community Store, which are committed to economic development and opportunity in historically under-resourced communities. Since 2016, Starbucks has helped to provide more than 27 million meals* to people facing hunger through its FoodShare program in partnership with Feeding America. The company has also invested $2.69 million in mobile pantry programs across the country since 2019.

To learn more about how you can join the fight to end hunger, visit LAFoodBank.org.