Food Distribution Centers Overwhelmed as Families Struggle Amid SNAP Uncertainty and Rising Demand

Politicians Must Act: Los Angeles Faces a Growing Hunger Crisis

Los Angeles is in crisis — it’s dying. Despite the packed crowds at Dodgers games and entertainment venues, a large portion of its residents don’t have enough food. It’s that simple.

It sounds like a scene out of science fiction: one of the most important cities in the world has a population lacking one of the most necessities — food.

Food distribution centers can’t keep up. Every day, they receive calls from residents asking for help, begging not to be abandoned. The directors of these centers can’t even sleep — they dream about those calls and rack their brains trying to figure out how to get more donations to meet, at least minimally, the community’s needs.

Cases like NELA Food Distribution — which has doubled the number of families it helps in just a few weeks — are an example of this… but the help still isn’t enough.

Los Angeles needs its city and county politicians to treat this as a priority, not as something secondary. Hunger — the lack of food — is real. We know that some council offices have dedicated part of their budgets to food distribution centers, but it’s not enough. They need to show up, assess their community’s needs, and establish a plan from the mayor’s office to determine how they can help solve the problems affecting as many people as possible.

At Parriva, we believe teamwork is both a priority and a necessity — a fundamental element for solving community problems from within the community itself.

It’s time for politicians to step up and show the leadership they claim to have. Hear this clearly: there’s a shortage of food, residents are going hungry, and not enough is being done.