For college students, being food insecure has become a stigmatized norm. Many students across Los Angeles County will head to class with empty stomachs, causing a distracted mind, and preventing them from learning in the classrooms.
Well over half of Cerritos College students are faced with the daunting decision of having to choose between purchasing food or buying school textbooks, or even foregoing higher education to be able to put food on the table for themselves or their families.
With more than two million people facing food insecurity in Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has turned into a lifeline for many people in Los Angeles County Angelenos.
When the pandemic hit, the question of whether Patricia and her family of five would have food on their table began to linger. She and her husband had lost their jobs, and with three young children at home, she needed to find a way to find their next meal.
Thanks to an awarded grant of $725,000 from LADF, the LA Regional Food Bank was able to provide 2.9 million meals to those in need.
Accidents can happen at any given moment, but the worst is right before a pandemic. Alondra Flores, a mother of three, depended on her job to help provide for her family. When she was in an accident that temporarily immobilized her, their lives changed.
While things may seem to be getting back to a new normal, there are still individuals in Los Angeles County living with the uncertainty of where their next meal will come from. And that’s where the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank comes into play.