The Food Bank’s City of Industry Distribution Center has made considerable progress as we continue to fight hunger in Los Angeles County

For over 50 years, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has worked to achieve its vision: that no one goes hungry in LA County. While external factors continue to push the need for food assistance in our communities upward, the Food Bank is here to help and recognizes our obligation to grow along with the need.

In August of 2020 Food Bank purchased a warehouse in the City of Industry, and thanks to strong support from donors, the Food Bank is renovating this facility to help expand programs and increase capacity, ready to help more people than ever before. In 2023 alone, the Food Bank distributed 115 million pounds of food compared to 80 million in 2019.

Building for the Future

Since the last update in July 2023, the Food Bank has made considerable strides in getting the City of Industry warehouse near completion. The Food Bank is on track to finish the renovations of the new warehouse in 2024. 

The most significant completion was that of the refrigerator and freezer area. As of October 2023, the refrigerator and freezer have been racked and are fully operational, as well as the refrigerated dock. Thanks to this refrigerated dock, food arriving at the warehouse can be unloaded and left on the dock as it awaits storage while maintaining its temperature and freshness. This is crucial when working with perishable items such as produce, frozen poultry, and meats, among other items.

The construction of the Volunteer Engagement Center has also made great strides, intending to provide volunteers with an environment for engagement, host safety trainings, and ample space between their production shifts. 

The S. Mark Taper Foundation Food Rescue Center will serve as a designated area for volunteers to gather and sort donated food, effectively preventing the wastage of perfectly good, nutritious resources. The gleaning area will have washable floors, walls, and ceilings, which will count with a drainage system.

While the aforementioned will help boost volunteer engagement, the Freeburg Foundation’s Conference Center will help the Food Bank host more events and trainings for its 600 partner agencies. The event space is near completion, with its first event booked for the coming months. 

Additionally, the construction of the employee break room has been completed, including the coffee bar and fully functioning kitchen. Employees will also have an outdoor deck for breaks that overlooks the trucking area. Partner agencies will also have access to the deck while waiting for their orders to be fulfilled. 

Building Hope For All

The Food Bank has many naming rights for essential areas of the new facility, including the entire Food Distribution Facility, the Loading Dock and Food Receiving Area, and the Operations Center. For more information and a list of all giving opportunities, visit LAFoodBank.org/building-hope. 

The Food Bank looks forward to the completion of its City of Industry Distribution Center and to welcoming volunteers, donors and its partner agencies. This facility helps us complete our essential work in fighting hunger in our community. 

Remember, together, #WeFeedLA.