Food Bank Programs like the BackPack Program are helping feed thousands of children throughout Los Angeles County

It is estimated that 1 in 4 children that live in Los Angeles County may not know where their next meal is coming from. Thousands of children will likely go to school on an empty stomach, unable to focus on learning and consequently, impacting their future.

When CalFresh benefits aren’t enough for eligible families, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has been able to step in and provide food to individuals and families in need. With the recent cuts to the CalFresh Program, families who were already struggling to make ends meet now have to reevaluate their budget as summer vacation approaches and school meals aren’t available.

During the summer of 2020, the introduction of Pandemic EBT aimed to provide food assistance throughout the summer break to children who depend on school meals. In 2022, families with eligible children received benefits amounting to a maximum of $391 for the three-month period when schools were closed. However, this year, the benefits have been significantly reduced to $120 for the same three-month duration, reflecting a substantial decrease of almost 77%.

The Food Bank brought to life specialized programs more than 20 years ago to better address food insecurity in all walks of life, including the Children’s Nutrition Program which served more than 8,500 children in 2022. Learn more about what the Food Bank is doing to combat childhood hunger year-round and how you can help.

BackPack Program

For many children, having enough food to eat over the weekend can be a challenge. The Food Bank’s BackPack Program provides enough food to make six nutritious meals. In 2022, more than 22,000 kits were distributed every Friday to over 3,200 students. 

In partnership with DoorDash and Amazon, the Food Bank began the BackPack Home Delivery Program, taking boxes of food to the doorstep of those families who cannot pick up the boxes at school.

After School Meals

Because there are thousands of families struggling to put food on the table, many children will go home from school and won’t have any food to eat at home. The Food Bank’s After School Meals Program addresses this problem by providing nutritious meals to students once the school day ends. 

In 2022, the Food Bank distributed nearly 130,000 meals to more than 1,100 children at 33 schools. These types of distributions not only help feed children but also help relieve stress for parents who are worried about making ends meet. 

Summer Meals

In 2006 the Food Bank kicked off its Summer Meals program that offers breakfast and lunch meals to children. In 2022, more than 52,000 meals were served over the summer at 20 locations throughout Los Angeles County. These locations include daily on-site programming locations as well as daily grab-and-go meal locations from Monday to Friday.

If you or a student you know needs food assistance, please visit our Free Summer Meals page for more information. 

The Food Bank relies on donations from our community to support programs like the aforementioned, and therefore, individuals and families in need. If you are in a position to do so, please consider donating to the Food Bank.