Thousands of canned goods donated for third annual LAPD food drive

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Police Department celebrated its third annual food drive Sunday and received thousands of canned goods in an effort to end hunger in L.A.

Truck-loads of donated food rolled into the LAPD station in West Los Angeles. The trucks headed to the West L.A. station for the final weigh-in. The food drive is for the Greater Los Angeles Food Bank, and the department hopes the donated goods will surpass 30,000 pounds.

Local businesses along with community and college organizations joined in the effort to end hunger. Two young volunteers, Evan Birken and Matt Monheim, were able to get Trader Joe's to give them 600 paper bags so they could collect more food.

The pair went through their neighborhoods dropping off bags for people to fill with goods.

"We got a couple of thousand pounds of food," Birken said.

LAPD Sgt. Cleon Joseph said the food drive is a way to bring the community together for a good cause.

"This is what it's all about. Now we know we're never going to end hunger per say, but we have to try...we can do it if we continue to work together," Joseph said.