SIGNAL TRIBUNE | May 11, 2020

In an effort to help feed people during the ongoing health crisis, nine new food pantries will be opening across Long Beach.
On Monday, May 11, the Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion (LBCEI) announced that it will be working with Councilmember Rex Richardson and Food Finders to open the pantries as part of its “In This Together Long Beach” emergency initiative.
“We are very excited to help add additional pantries in much needed areas in Long Beach,” Diana Lara, Food Finders Executive Director, said in a press release.
“We will provide as much nonperishable and perishable food as we can for these pantries so they can help residents that live in food desert areas that don’t have grocery stores nearby.”
According to a press release, the ongoing pandemic has seen a number of food pantries close– limiting access to fresh, healthy food for many neighborhoods.
The pantries will offer weekly distributions of food, and some will offer additional food services, such as to-go meals.
The new initiative will partner with religious organizations across Long Beach to set up locations across North, West, Central and Downtown Long Beach.
NORTH LONG BEACH:
• Pools of Hope – Thursdays from 2pm-4pm and Saturdays from 11am-1pm at 6801 Long Beach Boulevard
• Church One Ministries – Mondays-Fridays from 11am-1pm at 700 70th Street
• Light and Life Christian Fellowship – Mondays from 12pm-1pm at 5951 Downey Avenue
• North Long Beach Prayer Center – Fridays from 7am-1:30pm at 5239 Atlantic Avenue
CENTRAL LONG BEACH:
• Grant A.M.E. Church – Wednesdays from 9am-2pm at 1129 Alamitos Avenue
WEST LONG BEACH:
• Fountain of Life Covenant Church – Thursdays from 9am-3pm at 2060 Santa Fe Avenue
DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH:
• Urban Community Outreach* – Sundays from 1:30-3pm at 241 Cedar Avenue
• Christian Outreach in Action* – Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am-12pm at 515 E 3rd Street
*To-Go meals are also offered at this site
LBCEI and Food Finders plan to stock each pantry with fresh and frozen produce, protein sources and meat, shelf-stable food and dried goods.
Due to the pandemic, Food Finders is expecting to provide an additional three million pounds of food to Southern California residents compared to last year.
To donate, residents can visit Food Finders at 10539 Humboldt St. in Los Alamitos be tween 8am-5pm. To volunteer, visit www.foodfinders.org or look for their volunteer app on any app store.
To find out more about LBCEI and “In This Together” visit lbcei.org/inthistogether.