Top health equity nonprofit teams up with LA County Supervisor to ensure food access in L.A.’s under-resourced communities.
PICO-UNION– National Health Foundation (NHF), a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of under-resourced communities, and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis, Supervisor to the First District, successfully distributed 15,360 pounds of food, including 720 boxes of shelf-stable food and 240 boxes of fresh produce, to 2,300 L.A. County residents during the organization’s Pico-Union Drive-Thru Food Distribution event on Friday, March 26.
The event, which takes place at NHF’s Pico-Union recuperative care facility on the last Friday of every month, was designed to meet the immediate food needs of families and individuals in Los Angeles’ under-resourced communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While one in five residents in L.A. County faced food insecurity prior to the pandemic, the economic effects of COVID-19 have led to one in four (28.9%) residents facing food insecurity—approximately 955,466 households. In particular, communities of color face high barriers to food access, with Hispanic and Latinx residents accounting for 59% of L.A. County residents facing food insecurity between April and May 2020, at the start of the pandemic.
In addition to food, NHF and Supervisor Solis distributed 400 baby items, including 300 packs of diapers and 100 packs of formula, provided by Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that ensures children living in poverty are provided with diapers, clothing and other basic necessities needed for a healthy life. Shelter Partnership, Inc., a nonprofit organization working to collaboratively solve homelessness in Los Angeles County, also donated 300 backpacks, 1,000 masks and 1,000 hand sanitizers for distribution. Of those in L.A. County that experienced food insecurity between April and May 2020, nearly half (44%) had school-age children.
“COVID-19 has directly caused a mounting food crisis in Los Angeles County, especially for communities of color like Pico-Union,” explained National Health Foundation President & CEO, Kelly Bruno. “NHF is extremely grateful to Supervisor Solis for joining us in ensuring all Los Angeles residents have access to nutritious, whole foods that enable communities to achieve their highest level of health.”
NHF’s Pico-Union Drive-Thru Food Distribution March 2021 event was made possible through the organization’s partnership with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, the Office of Chair Solis and the Office of Councilmember Gil Cedillo.
About National Health Foundation
Founded in 1973, National Health Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation that works within communities to eliminate barriers to health, address the root causes of poor health and advocate and empower under-resourced communities to find solutions that lead to lasting change. Embracing the guiding philosophy that health begins where we live, learn, work and play, the organization’s advocacy and work focuses on four key areas: housing, food access, built environment and education. In 2020, NHF secured $250,000 in food benefits for local families, assisted 356 individuals in submitting applications for government food benefits and provided 250 nutrition education and physical activity classes.
For more information about the National Health Foundation, please visit nationalhealthfoundation.org or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter (@NHFcommunity).