Foodbank of Southern California

Through controlled and steady growth over the last 31 years, The Foodbank of Southern California is an established organization which successfully melds efficiency of service with a compassion for human caring. The Foodbank of Southern California continues to improve over time, by becoming more efficient and increasing the number of hungry children and families that are served by our organization.

The Foodbank of Southern California works daily to alleviate the damage persistent hunger inflicts on children, seniors, and families by serving as many charitable distribution agencies and securing as many food donations as possible. We continue to be the largest distributor of food in the economically depressed areas of Watts, South Central Los Angeles, Compton and North Long Beach.

The Foodbank's food distribution programs are accomplished by soliciting wholesome donations of nutritious food from the food industry and channeling these products to charitable community organizations supporting the needy. The Foodbank directs its efforts towards obtaining, storing and transferring large donations that the service agencies would independently be unable to handle due to logistics of transportation, space and refrigeration. The facility includes a 24,000 square foot warehouse with freezer and refrigeration space. It can hold 4.5 million pounds of food at any given time. There are over 200 corporate food donors, from producers and wholesalers to national corporations, who donate their nutritious food to The Foodbank.

* The Foodbank leads the way as the most cost effective distributor of food in the entire nation. In its 31st year, The Foodbank is operating at peak efficiency providing $49 worth of food for every $1 donated. Nationwide, this figure is unprecedented and remains unmatched in foodbanking today. The national average is $22.

* Steadily increasing services and food distribution every year, this past year The Foodbank increased its total distribution of highly nutritious food from 32.7 million to 33.5 million pounds of food, thus increasing from 1.44 million to 1.57 million meals served to the needy each week.

* The Foodbank continues to be the largest distributor of fresh produce of any foodbank in the state. The solicitation of fresh produce from Ventura, Salinas and Imperial Valleys has resulted in a 40% increase (over the prior year) in the receipt and distribution of fresh produce.

* The Foodbank raised $430,000 for its warehouse expansion project in 2005-2006. The building addition will consist of approximately 10,000 square feet and will adjoin the existing facility. The expansion project will maximize our resources to feed the poor by building the capacity of The Foodbank's food distribution program. The Expansion project will help meet the needs of an expanding service population that includes low-income working-poor families.

The Foodbank of Southern California serves hundreds of certified charitable community agencies daily throughout Southern California. Food is distributed to abused children and women shelters, crisis centers, childcare centers, homes for troubled youth, homeless shelters, substance abuse centers, senior centers, emergency box programs, soup kitchens, and food pantries.