Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Fighting Hunger. Giving Hope.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Food insecurity in Los Angeles County has continued to be pervasive. Continued increases in the cost of living, including and especially housing, coupled with stagnant wages, means that hundreds of thousands of families in our communities struggle to put food on the table. One in five people in Los Angeles County experience food insecurity, representing 20% of the population and affecting more than 2 million people. One in four children in Los Angeles County is food insecure.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
BackPack Program
For children who rely on school-sponsored breakfasts and lunches during the week, having enough to eat over the weekend can be a challenge. Our BackPack Program provides enough food for six nutritious meals every Friday during the school year to ensure that at-risk children do not go hungry over the weekend when school meal programs are not available.
In 2022, the Program served more than 3,200 children at high-need schools.
Distribution of Food & Grocery Products
Distribution of Food and Grocery Products to more than 600 charitable organizations in our Partner Agency Network throughout Los Angeles County.
Emergency Food Assistance Program
Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) provides commodities received from the USDA to low income families and individuals.
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) program which provides monthly food kits to seniors. Each kit weighs approximately 30 pounds and contains mostly shelf-stable staples such as milk, beans, grains and canned fruits and vegetables.
Summer Meal Program
The Summer Meal Program runs throughout the summer months, providing a nutritious lunch to children who would normally access their midday meal at school. In 2022, the Program served an average of 1,200 children daily during the summer months, distributing nutritious meals at distribution sites, including Boys and Girls Clubs, summer schools, community centers, the Salvation Army and some libraries. This includes the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a federally funded nutrition program for children facing hunger during the summer months.
Mobile Food Pantry
The Mobile Food Pantry serves low-income families in underserved areas throughout Los Angeles County. Food on the refrigerated truck is a combination of produce and perishable goods sourced from the USDA and food donors.
This program also began outreach for college students struggling with food insecurity in 2017.
Nutrition Education
The Food Bank educates children, their families and seniors who participate in our programs about the importance of healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices. We also utilize a food grading system that helps direct our efforts towards the most nutritious foods available.
The CalFresh Outreach Program
The CalFresh Outreach Program helps low-income, food-insecure individuals and families gain access to nutritious food through the California Department of Social Services CalFresh Program by helping them navigate every step of the application process. This includes distributing fliers, providing pre-screening service and assisting with application completion and submission.
CalFresh is the new name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in California. Formerly known as the Food Stamps Program, this is a federal program run through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Eligible individuals can apply for CalFresh benefits through an application process through the Los Angeles County Department of Social Services (LADPSS).
Extra Helpings Program
The Extra Helpings Program routes perishable and other donated food from grocery stores and other local sources directly to Food Bank partner agencies.
Where we work
Awards
Organization of the Year 2013
LA Business Journal
Affiliations & memberships
Feeding America 1983
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Average number of service recipients per month
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth
Related Program
Distribution of Food & Grocery Products
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
Through our partner agency network and Food Bank direct distribution programs, the Food Bank serves more than 800,000 individuals each month.
Number of meals served or provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
In 2022, we distributed enough food for 88 million meals. Since its inception in 1973, the Food Bank has distributed more than 1.9 billion pounds of food and product.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Distribution of Food & Grocery Products
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
In 2021, 12,000 volunteers donated their time during 37,000 shifts for a total of 158,000 hours helping on-site at the Food Bank and at food distribution sites.
Amount of food and product donated (in lbs)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth
Related Program
Distribution of Food & Grocery Products
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The Food Bank sources donated food from farmers, retailers, manufacturers, processors, food service and the USDA which reduces food waste and provides nutritious food to people seeking assistance.
Amount of food and product purchased (in lbs)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth
Related Program
Distribution of Food & Grocery Products
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Due to the spike in the demand for food assistance in 2020 due to the pandemic, the Food Bank significantly increased purchases of food and non-food items to supplement donated inventory.
Value of food and product distributed (in dollars)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth
Related Program
Distribution of Food & Grocery Products
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Total pounds of food rescued
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth
Related Program
Extra Helpings Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The Extra Helpings Program routes perishable and other donated food from grocery stores and other local sources directly to Food Bank partner agencies.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Since our founding in 1973 by Pasadena resident Tony Collier, we have distributed more than 1.83 billion pounds of food to Los Angeles residents who are at-risk for hunger. We acquire, store, transport and distribute millions of pounds of food every week and we follow the Feeding America standards in doing so.
Our food distribution programs have a year-round timetable. The Food Bank receives bulk items from donors daily, and we store these items in our two warehouses. Staff and volunteers receive training on how to properly sort/glean and process donated food. Perishable food is stored in our refrigerated room.
The Food Bank also receives salvaged food items that are sorted and packed into uniform packages of similar items such as fruit or vegetables, etc. Volunteers and warehouse staff discard products that are not salvageable as set forth by Feeding America guidelines. Salvaged food items are repackaged and moved to our front dock for agency pick-up. A refrigerated truck/trailer is always used when picking up or receiving perishable food. The truck is checked for the correct temperature upon drop-off or pick-up to ensure that perishable foods will be kept at a safe temperature.
Partner agencies schedule regular appointments for food pick-up or delivery. Twenty-four hours before the scheduled pick-up or delivery time, the agency can access a listing of available food from our website, via a recorded phone message or by requesting a faxed list. In addition to pick-ups and deliveries, agencies are able to shop at the Front Dock each weekday between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and can pick up produce at the weekly Agency Drive-Through.
Our direct service programs include:
Our Children's Nutrition Programs provided healthy breakfasts, after-school meals, summer lunches, weekend meals, and bags of fresh produce to more than 12,800 food-insecure children throughout Los Angeles County.
The Food Bank’s Senior Nutrition Programs provides nutritious food to more than 80,400 low-income seniors, including pandemic-related home delivery for many.
The Nutrition Education Program engaged facilitated 70 classes in 2021 for food-insecure individuals and families, including cooking demonstrations. The Program empowers and inspires participants to prepare healthy meals at home using ingredients distributed through the Food Bank’s programs.
The CalFresh Outreach Program helped low-income individuals gain access to nutritious food through the California Department of Social Services CalFresh Program. We distributed 62,622 CalFresh flyers and assisted clients in submitting 956 CalFresh applications.
The Mobile Food Pantry served 212,687 people, distributing more than 11 million pounds of food.
The Extra Helpings Program rescued 22.5 million of pounds of food that would otherwise go to waste and distributed it to those in need. In 2021, the Program connected 165 partner agencies to donated food from 251 local donors.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our strategies to alleviate hunger in our community include serving as a clearinghouse for a network of more than 600 partner agencies located throughout Los Angeles County. By acquiring food through bulk food purchases and soliciting surplus from all sectors of the food and hospitality industries, we are able to handle large-scale donations and bulk food purchases that our smaller partner agencies would be unable to accept. In 2021, the Food Bank distributed 131 million pounds of food and 2.6 million pounds of non-food products. 96% of the food distributed is rated as nutritious.
Partner agencies include food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers, youth centers, homeless shelters, churches and other community-based organizations. Approximately 24 percent of the people served by these agencies are 0-17 years of age, 58 percent are 18-64 years of age and 18 percent are 65 years and older.
In addition to our General Food Distribution program through our more than 600 partner agencies and our Fresh Produce Distribution program, which comprises nearly 20% of all distributions, the Food Bank also operates its own direct service programs from 151 additional program sites, including nutrition programs for children and seniors, nutrition education, CalFresh food stamp outreach and a Mobile Food Pantry Program.
The Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the California Association of Food Banks, and locally, Emergency Network of Los Angeles (ENLA), Los Angeles County's Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD).
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The essential functions of the Food Bank include the acquisition, storage, transportation and distribution of millions of pounds of food every month through our more than 600 partner agencies. In a typical month before the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Food Bank provided food to 300,000 adults, seniors and children through our partner agency network and Food Bank direct distribution programs. The number of people served has increased markedly and is now estimated to be at more than 800,000 people served over the course of a month.
The Food Bank's direct service programs serve children and seniors every month, and our Nutrition Continuum programs, which seek to address the underlying health, education and policy issues related to hunger.
As providers of millions of pounds in annual food assistance, we take our responsibility to distribute food that is safe and healthy very seriously. To that end, our Fund also supports capital needs and facility improvements related to food safety.
The Food Bank has made it a priority to ensure that people at-risk for hunger receive healthy, nutritious food. We have implemented a rating system that allows us to track our food solicitation efforts and decisions regarding food purchases to ensure that we acquire the most nutritious foods available. In 2019, 80 percent of the food distributed through the Food Bank achieved a 'high' or 'good' nutritional value rating.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2021, our staff was supported by 12,000 volunteers who gave 158,000 hours of service to the Food Bank. Through their efforts, we distributed 131 million pounds of food to our partner agencies and direct service programs.
We currently work with more than 600 partner agencies (i.e., food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers, youth centers, homeless shelters, faith-based organizations, and community centers) across Los Angeles County to distribute food to those in need. The Food Bank is a member of Feeding America and the California Association of Food Banks. We also partner with the local chapter of the American Red Cross to respond in the event of a major disaster.
The Food Bank acquires food by soliciting surplus food items from all sectors of the food and hospitality industries and by making bulk purchases. Through these sources, we are able to accept, store and distribute food on a scale that would overwhelm our smaller partner agencies.
We serve all of Los Angeles County, which has the largest food insecure population of any county in the nation (1.4 million people). Every month the Food Bank serves 800,000 food-insecure individuals. Of the clients we serve, 24 percent are children under the age of 18, and 18 percent are seniors aged 60 and above.
In 2021, our Program Operating Fund objectives continued to meet the Coronavirus pandemic response and corresponding economic fallout. The number of people served has increased markedly and is now estimated to be at more than 800,000 people served over the course of a month. Food distribution has increased by 110% compared to the pre-pandemic period. 310 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 250 million meals, have been distributed since the crisis started in March 2020, including more than 4 million emergency food boxes distributed to families and individuals (12 million individuals served in total) through partner agencies, direct “Drive Through” and Mobile Food Pantry distributions, school districts and other partnerships.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Board of directorsas of 09/28/2023
Gary Kirkpatrick
G&R Holdings
Term: 2023 - 2025
Gary Kirkpatrick
G&R Holdings
Mark Stegemoeller
Lathan & Watkins (Retired)
James A. Thomson
RAND Corporation (Retired)
Justin Toner
Capital Group
Susan K. Leonard
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (retired)
Robert Perille
Shamrock Capital Advisors (Retired)
Michael Montgomery
Montgomery Advisory, LLC
Michael Flood
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Dean Hallett
Hallett Leadership
Dylan Jadeja
Riot Games
Jordan L. Kruse
Oaktree Capital Management
Silvano Merlo
Marriott International
Abhilash Patel
Entrepreneur and Investor
Keith Addis
Industry Entertainment Partners
Meredith Hightower
HBO Entertainment
Robert Kronfli
Bacari Restaurants
Felix Recht
Transom Consulting Group
Cary Rubinstein
Union Bank
Karen Corman
Skadden
Ron Frierson
Amazon
Todd P. Solash
AIG
Lena Al-Sarraf, DO
Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc.
Karen Sessions
Bank of America
Roxane Fattahi
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Carol Garcia
Wells Fargo Bank
Richard Leuchter
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Amanda Massucci
Ernst & Young LLP
Jason Silvera
Latham & Watkins
Matt Toledo
ProVisors
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 09/01/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.