One in five people in Los Angeles County face food insecurity, according to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. With inflation driving up the cost of groceries and ongoing labor fights, families are struggling as we head into the holiday season. Los Angeles Regional Food Bank CEO Michael Flood joined host Lisa McRee on “LA Times Today” to share how people can help. 

The food bank works with a network of organizations to help people in LA County.

“We’re reaching 900,000 people every month in partnership with 600 other partner agencies, food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, youth programs, senior programs, veteran organizations. This is a network doing tremendous work to provide help to people. We also have some direct service programs, mobile distributions at community colleges and other locations to families and to people, seniors, and some children’s programs. So there’s a lot of activity going on because the need continues, unfortunately, is still at a very high level,” Flood said. 

Flood explained that the pandemic and this year’s labor strikes increased food insecurity in the region, among other reasons. He shared how people can assist the food bank with monetary donations or by donating food. 

“For every dollar that comes in, there’s the equivalent of about $5 worth of food. Certainly for those that want to help, we want to encourage people to help. Often we will refer them to one of our local agencies, food pantries or other locations that can use some of that food assistance. And the volunteer program is very important. The Food Bank, our partner agencies, rely heavily on volunteers to keep this work going, to serve people and to sort food,” Flood said.

This year, the Los Angeles Rams became involved with the food bank.

“We just did a distribution in Long Beach last week with Tutu Atwell and a lot of the Rams personnel and Rampage and everyone else. And I know there are other places in the community, too, in West Valley and in adjacent counties very involved in providing that help. [They are] providing turkeys and other food items and fresh produce to try to just make this Thanksgiving holiday brighter for many families that, again, are just really struggling to meet their basic needs,” Flood said. 

To donate or volunteer, go to LAFoodBank.org.

Click the arrow above to watch the full interview.

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