Food insecurity has been a major health concern in Los Angeles County for years. Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant communities in LA continue to experience higher rates of food insecurity compared to wealthier, white households. And the negative impact on their health is evident. Higher obesity and diabetes rates, poor cardiovascular health and other health conditions are prevalent in LA’s BIPOC communities. The connection to food insecurity is undeniable and to make matters worse, the pandemic has brought new challenges like increased unemployment, making it even harder for low-income BIPOC families to access basic needs like food.
Last Thursday, October 8, 2020, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan in partnership with National Health Foundation hosted a webinar for community residents on addressing food insecurity in Huntington Park and surrounding neighborhoods. Over 50 community members attended and engaged in conversations around what food insecurity looks like for an individual household and for the community overall. Speakers from LA County’s Department of Public Social Services and Supervisor Hilda Solis’s office shared local resources, including how to sign up for CalFresh Food benefits (California’s SNAP program, formerly known as food stamps), and food distribution sites hosted by the Supervisor’s office. Lastly, community residents heard from community advocate and NHF’s CalFresh Promotora Fortina on how to get involved in your community and improve food access. To watch the webinar, look through the PowerPoints, or download the local resources, check out the links below.
Webinar recording (only available in Spanish):
Local resources from Supervisor Solis’s Office
If you attended the webinar, please take 3 minutes to complete this survey.
Together, we can address food insecurity in our communities. If you need any more information or are a community member who would like to sign up for CalFresh, please contact:
Stephanie Monterroza, Sr. Program Manager
213-538-0712