CORONA WATCH — With unemployment at nearly 20 percent and food banks serving up to 10 times more Californians during the COVID-19 pandemic than before, L.A. Controller Ron Galperin today launched a statewide guide to food resources.
The first and only map of its kind in the state, “Food for Californians” — accessible at lacontroller.org/foodforcalifornians — maps 1,800+ food banks, food pantries and emergency food distribution centers up and down California where residents can pick up free food.
This follows Galperin’s release of two local Southern California food resource maps tracking all of the food banks and pantries in the City and County of Los Angeles, which were used by tens of thousands of people within days of their release. He then created a comprehensive COVID-19 Resource Hub to make it easier for people to take advantage of hundreds of available federal, state and local resources.
“There is an alarmingly high level of food insecurity in every corner of the state right now,” said Controller Ron Galperin. “Job losses, reduced work hours and school closures have made it hard for Californians to both pay their bills and get enough food to feed their families. We mapped food banks, food pantries and emergency food centers that serve every single California county so that anyone seeking assistance during the pandemic can quickly and easily find free, nutritious sustenance.”
Users can navigate the Food for Californians map by clicking on the dots or searching by address to find a food resource near them. Each dot represents a separate food distribution location, and includes the name, address and contact information (phone and/or website). It is recommended that people seeking assistance contact the location they want to visit in advance to verify its operating hours and determine its service area. Some locations may also ask for photo identification and supporting income documents.
Also, Food Resources for Seniors
In addition to free food resources statewide, Galperin’s Food for Californians map shows the locations of grocery stores in L.A. County — the state’s most populous region — with special shopping hours for seniors, individuals with disabilities and the immunocompromised.
Check out the Food for Californians map here. It’s also linked on Galperin’s COVID-19 Resource Hub under “Food Access.”
Follow L.A. Controller Ron Galperin at @LAController on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
-cw
