The three-hour event began at 9 a.m. and was expected to feed about 2,200 families.
About 70 volunteers handed out boxes filled with canned goods, eggs, frozen vegetables and a turkey. Most of the food was donated by local farmers, manufacturers and retailers, along with a $12 million outlay from Los Angeles County to purchase food.
"In normal time, we feed more than a million people a month," said Roger Castle, the food bank's chief development officer. "With 1.5 million people having disruptions to their SNAP benefit in L.A. County alone, we're seeing an increase in need. We've at see drive-thru distributions, people parked three, four hours before we start distributing."
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday extended an order blocking full SNAP payments, amid signals that the government shutdown could soon end and food aid payments resume.
The order keeps in place at least for a few more days a chaotic situation. People who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to feed their families in some states have received their full monthly allocations, while others have received nothing.
The Senate has approved a bill to end the shutdown and the House of Representatives could vote on it as early as Wednesday. Reopening the government would restart the program that helps 42 million Americans buy groceries, but it's not clear how quickly full payments would resume.
Foundation created by Fuerza Regida launches with food aid initiative in Ontario
Foundation created by Fuerza Regida launches with food aid initiative in Ontario
"We shouldn't be shut down this long," Los Angeles resident Kenneth Grimes said at the distribution event in Exposition Park. "Not America -- we got too much money. You give away too much money for us to be starving."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.