Before the pandemic, one in five people in Los Angeles County lacked consistent access to food - and in 2021, one in four low-income families experienced food insecurity, according to a new report from a coalition of county and nonprofit leaders.

The Los Angeles County Food Equity Roundtable just released its strategic plan, designed to end food insecurity by 2030.

Charity Faye, program manager for the group Sisters in Motion, Black Women for Wellness, said families of color in Los Angeles have suffered disproportionately for many years.

"Black and Brown families are three times as likely to face hunger than our White individuals within communities,' she said. "And so, food insecurity for us, we think of it as a public health crisis, because food access is actually a human right."

The plan lays out policies to make healthy food more affordable and more widely available, to build demand for healthy food by addressing lifestyle issues, and to support sustainable, local farming.

Frank Tamborello, executive director of Hunger Action Los Angeles, said authorities could help many families afford more food by expanding the Market Match program, which offers vouchers to be used at local farmers' markets.

"So, it's not just that we need to get the county to implement new policies," he said. "We need the county to use its considerable voice, as a huge population center in the United States, to win changes on the state and federal levels."

He also praised the expansion of CalFresh to undocumented seniors and said he hopes to see the program include more age groups.

Jamie Fanous senior policy advocate and organizer with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, said programs to make sure small farmers can survive tough times will support long-lasting, structural change.

"We have the solutions," she said. "We just need to resource our farmers; we just need to resource the folks that are managing cooperatives or managing food hubs."

The Food Equity Roundtable is funded by the Annenberg Foundation, the Weingart Foundation, and the California Community Foundation, and is co-chaired with Los Angeles County.

In the face of rising hunger across the state of Oregon, new legislation would extend food assistance benefits to undocumented children and older adults.

Recent data shows one in six children in Oregon and Southwest Washington face food insecurity, with rates growing twice as fast in rural communities.

The Food for All Oregonians bill is part of a broader immigrant justice package, backed by a coalition of over 155 organizations.

Andrea Vanessa Castillo, policy and advocacy manager for the Oregon Latino Health Coalition, is part of the steering committee.

"Despite working on farms that grow much of the nation's food, the Latina community members are facing barriers that perpetuate these cycles of food insecurity," Castillo explained.

The bill would create a new, state-run program similar to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program run by the U.S. Department of Human Services.

Castillo pointed to 2023 U.S. Department of Agriculture data showing nearly a quarter of Latino households had at least one member who faced food insecurity. Castillo added the bill is about preventing health problems that come with not having access to healthy or traditional food.

"We want to keep people from getting to this space by having access to foods that not only make people feel joy from eating, but that contribute to the nutrition in a very culturally specific way," Castillo emphasized.

Oregon Food Bank saw record visits last year across the state, up over 30% from 2023. Only children and older adults would qualify for food assistance under the new bill and the coalition hopes to expand the benefits to all undocumented Oregonians in the future.


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The Chiefs are back in this year's Super Bowl but first, the chefs are back for Albuquerque's annual "Souper Bowl."

Roadrunner Food Bank will open its warehouse Saturday to host dozens of local restaurants and bakeries competing for top honors in the best soup and dessert categories.

Diana Sanchez, events and communications coordinator for the food bank, said the eateries help the food relief organization raise funds and awareness about the state's hunger issues.

"We raise money by selling tickets to this event," Sanchez explained. "There's live music, people get to taste all these offerings; we have a people's choice award and we also have a critics' choice award."

Roadrunner is the largest statewide hunger relief organization and distributed food to hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans last year. The event this Saturday is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are available online or at the door.

Feeding America estimated one in five children and one in seven adults are at risk of hunger in New Mexico. Sanchez pointed out just $1 donated allows Roadrunner to distribute up to five meals.

"As we know, our grocery store prices continue to rise," Sanchez acknowledged. "With that we do see continued need in our population. A lot of us are just one hospital bill away from needing food assistance ourselves."

From its Albuquerque warehouse, Roadrunner provides food to hundreds of partners including food pantries, soup kitchens, group homes, shelters, schools, health care locations, senior sites and more. In addition to great food, those attending Saturday's event can enjoy live music, the opportunity to win prizes and a chance to vote for food favorites.

Food donations are pouring in to help victims of the Los Angeles fires, to the point donors are being asked to hold off a bit so it can all be distributed.

Antihunger advocates cautioned there are still hidden needs, because many people who did not directly lose their homes are still struggling.

Frank Tamborello, director of Hunger Action Los Angeles, said thousands have lost their jobs and may now have trouble feeding their families.

"You have a lot of people who didn't lose their homes but are housekeepers, maintenance workers and others who have lost a lot of clients," Tamborello pointed out. "They live all over the county, so their food situation has been impacted as they've lost income."

Tamborello predicted some families will need ongoing assistance for months, long after as the initial outpouring of aid dries up. In addition, some communities like Altadena and Pacific Palisades have lost their main grocery stores. Altadena lost three, as Aldi, Grocery Outlet and Super King all burned to the ground, so people there have to travel farther to get groceries. It can be challenging for those with disabilities or who may have lost their car or other transportation in the fires.

Alba Velasquez, executive director of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, said the fire also has taken a toll on local agriculture.

"Many farmers in the impacted regions are dealing with destroyed crops, damaged infrastructure and loss of revenue," Velasquez noted. "Additionally, air quality issues caused by the fires can have a lasting impact on crops and livestock health."

Advocates said they will work to address the issues with policymakers as agencies begin distributing disaster aid.