- Title: Demand for food "unprecedented" at Los Angeles food bank
- Date: 21st November 2020
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHAEL FLOOD, FOOD BANK PRESIDENT AND CEO, SAYING: "We've never seen an increase in food demand like we have since March. And for it to continue at this high level for that long is also unprecedented. So, yes, we've been very much challenged." VOLUNTEER PULLING A DOLLY CART BOXES OF FOOD INSIDE THE WAREHOUSE VOLUNTEER CARRYING BOXES BOXES OF TURKEYS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHAEL FLOOD, FOOD BANK PRESIDENT AND CEO, SAYING: "You know, as the food bank looks to 2021, we're expecting a continued high demand for food assistance. It's great that there's news of a vaccine and that should improve things from a public health standpoint. But we're dealing with record unemployment here in L.A. County, not seen since the Great Depression. So, you know, we're double the national average and it really will be dependent on how quickly the economy bounces back, how quickly the employment situation improves, so more and more people are working." VARIOUS OF A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS SORTING OUT AND BAGGING ORANGES AND APPLES (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHAEL FLOOD, FOOD BANK PRESIDENT AND CEO, SAYING: "Fortunately, there has been a lot of food available out there because with restaurants closing down, schools, you know, hotels, conventions. That's led to a lot of surplus food out that food banks around the country have been able to capture and deliver out, things like produce, and dairy and meat items have been available. So, that has been great in allowing us to meet higher demand." MATT CONNERY VOLUNTEER AT NON-PROFIT FRIENDS IN DEED RECEIVING FOOD DONATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) MATT CONNERY, VOLUNTEER AT NON-PROFIT FRIENDS IN DEED, SAYING: "I volunteer because I couldn't imagine myself going without, you know, even with the little amount of food shortages that came through, that was a little bit distressing. And I don't have that issue, but I can't imagine not knowing where my next meal would come from." DIANA HERNANDEZ AND FRIENDS BAGGING APPLES AND ORANGES BAG OF ORANGES ON A COUNT SCALE VOLUNTEER PLACING APPLES IN A BOX (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIANA HERNANDEZ, VOLUNTEER, SAYING: "I really love doing community service and adding, like, contributing to my community. And I didn't know that there was so much food insecurity, especially around Los Angeles. So, I thought that it would be nice to come and help out the best that I can." VARIOUS OF BAGS OF APPLES AND ORANGES ON A COUNT SCALE WITH VOLUNTEERS BAGGING CRATES OF FOOD SITTING ON SHELVES AT THE WAREHOUSE WITH VOLUNTEERS WORKING ON THE SIDE
- Embargoed: 5th December 2020 00:45
- Keywords: Los Angeles Los Angeles Regional Bank Michael Flood Thanksgiving donations food bank food security
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Health/Medicine,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA003D5DI2X3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: At the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, the beeping sound of forklifts coming and going loaded with pallets of food is nonstop. Volunteers barely have time to look at their surroundings while packing boxes of food. It's been this way since the pandemic started, according to Michael Flood, Food Bank President, and CEO - and it's getting even busier.
"Pre-pandemic, we measure things in pounds and we were distributing about one and a half million pounds every week in and out of our distribution centers, and now we're running at four million pounds a week, coming in and out of our distribution centers here in South L.A. and in Commerce," Flood told Reuters on Friday (November 20). " And that's a hundred and forty-five percent increase in volume."
The upcoming holidays are putting extra pressure on food banks across the country, with lines of cars stretching for miles for just one box of food. But Flood says that's only one of the hardships families are facing.
"I mean, there's so many people that are just struggling right now. They're worried about rent payments; they're worried about all of their sort of basic expenses. And there's just not enough money to meet their food needs," he said.
Matt Connery drove into the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to pick up food donations for Friends in Deed, a non-profit organization in Pasadena, California where he volunteers.
"I volunteer because I couldn't imagine myself going without, you know, even with the little amount of food shortages that came through, that was a little bit distressing. And I don't have that issue, but I can't imagine not knowing where my next meal would come from," says Connery.
Flood says while there's a glimmer of hope of a vaccine in the coming months, demand for food is unlikely to ease up any time soon.
"As the food bank looks to 2021, we're expecting a continued high demand for food assistance. It's great that there's news of a vaccine and that should improve things from a public health standpoint. But we're dealing with record unemployment here in L.A. County, not seen since the Great Depression," Flood added.
(Production: Alan Devall, Norma Galeana) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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