As part of their annual “Help for the Hungry” campaign to support local food banks and provide meals to families in need throughout SoCal, sister stations NBC4 and Telemundo52 are teaming up with the Foodbank of Southern California to help Long Beach residents.
On Thursday, Dec. 15, struggling residents are invited to pick up a bag of free food from 10 a.m. to noon at the Foodbank of Southern California at 1444 San Francisco Ave. Over 1,000 families will be given free food, diapers and toys from sponsors like Don Francisco Coffee, Goya Foods, Ralphs, Food 4 Less and Baby2Baby on a first-come, first-served basis.
The event has the support of over 200 local nonprofit groups, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, Adventures to Dreams Enrichment, Goodwill, LA Dream Center and more, according to Laurie Settle, the office manager for the Foodbank of Southern California. The food bank has been combating hunger in Long Beach and Los Angeles County since 1975.
“We’re just excited that NBC and Telemundo selected us to partner with here in Long Beach with so many that are in need due to high prices, people losing their jobs and not being able to afford food,” said Settle. “Just being able to give back to the community is so exciting.”
The Long Beach Fire Department will be in attendance helping hand out items, and Santa Claus will also make an appearance to spread holiday cheer and take photos with families.
Both news outlets will be reporting live at the Long Beach food pantry and promoting the 5th annual Help For The Hungry campaign running from Nov. 21 through Dec. 31. All donations from the campaign will go directly to regional food banks and local food pantries including Los Angeles Food Bank, Second Harvest Orange County, Feeding America Riverside/San Bernardino and Food Share Ventura County. To donate, residents can text H4H to 41444 or visit any Ralphs or Food 4 Less supermarkets in their neighborhood.