Facing record demand, LA Regional Food Bank donates millions of pounds each week

Millions of Americans are in need of food during this pandemic. The LA Regional Food Bank has seen record demand in the last month.

“We’re up by 73% over the last four weeks — sort of food distribution and people being served. So it’s a huge surge in food assistance,” says Michael Flood, president of the LA Regional Food Bank.

He adds that food is continuing to flow, but demand is much higher than the supply coming in.

Last week, the LA Regional Food Bank was at the Forum, where 7,560 families came for assistance. Many of them were laid off, furloughed, or had hours cut.

“A lot of people I spoke to as they kind of came through, they’ve never been in the situation of needing help in the past. A month ago, they’re doing fine in terms of making ends meet, working. And now the economy has just shifted so suddenly and rapidly for so many people,” says Flood.