One package after the next rolls down the line...and guardsmen from across California are helping to make it happen. They have been working at the L.A. Food Bank since the start of the pandemic.
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"We do 120 pallets a day, on average. Nine million pounds since March of this year," said Specialist Logan Gray-McCannon, California National Guard.
The work is taking place in the food bank's massive new distribution center in the City of Industry. A facility that is expected to see plenty of traffic in the months ahead.
While it is unclear how long the National Guard will be here, the need is still great. Even with businesses opening back up, the food bank is still seeing tremendous demand.
"Demand is still high. We are seeing it creep down. It's great the economy is opening back up; some are getting back to work. But we're still seeing these large drive-thru distributions, families come through, individuals who are just struggling to get back in their feet," said Michael Flood, CEO LA Food Bank.
The new distribution center still needs to renovate to maximize the space, but it will eventually give the food bank much greater capacity.
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"Now we are raising the funds to put in the refrigeration, re-do the electricity, plumbing and the like so we can turn this into a food bank," said Flood.
The bottom line, the L.A. Food Bank will be able to do more for more people. And that makes work like this a lot easier.
"It's awesome to see the gratefulness, the smile on their face when getting that food," said Gray-McCannon.
It's gratifying work that everyone wishes wasn't needed. But in these uncertain times, it is good to know the L.A. Food Bank is here, and now it is bigger and better than ever.
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