Los Angeles Unified Provides 1.5 Million Meals in One-Day Effort To Help Families Celebrate Thanksgiving (11-25-20)

Los Angeles Unified Provides 1.5 Million Meals in One-Day Effort
To Help Families Celebrate Thanksgiving 

• Biggest One-Day Effort in the Country
• Los Angeles Unified Has Provided More Than 82 Million Meals

LOS ANGELES (November 25, 2020) – Los Angeles Unified’s nation-leading food relief effort passed another milestone today, providing 1.5 million meals in a single day to students and families in need to ensure they have something to eat while celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday.

Families visiting the 63 Grab & Go Food Centers at schools across Los Angeles Unified received meals to support them during the long holiday weekend. This one-day initiative adds to the more than 80 million meals and 10 million items of needed supplies distributed as part of the nation’s largest-ever school-based relief effort.

“Hunger doesn’t take a holiday, and it’s important that we continue to provide a safety net for our students and their families,” Superintendent Austin Beutner said. “We are grateful to all of those who have helped support relief efforts.” 

During the nearly eight months since school campuses closed due to the pandemic, Los Angeles Unified has been joined by thousands of individuals, businesses and philanthropic organizations who have provided money and donations totaling more than $29 million to a charitable effort, LA Students Most in Need, which was started by Superintendent Beutner to support the relief efforts.

Entercom, a radio powerhouse, is joining the effort this week by helping raise money to provide gifts and clothes to those in need this holiday season. Text GIVER to 76278 to donate.

“Thank you to our community partners and our Los Angeles Unified staff who have  allowed us to provide this many meals to our students and their families,” Board President Dr. Richard Vladovic said. “You are true heroes in these hard times.”

“The ongoing effects of COVID-19 continue to exacerbate the strain on many Los Angeles Unified families,” Board Member Dr. George J. McKenna III said. “To the extent that we can provide essential items for our families, we will continue to stand in the gap to help fill that need as we have done from the start of the pandemic.”

"This Thanksgiving, we are especially mindful of all the challenges we face as a community and are inspired by the love in action at every Grab & Go site,” Board Member Mónica García said. “We are grateful for all of the employees working these sites and to our partners for making it possible to secure nutritious meals for our families most in need."

“During this Thanksgiving holiday, food insecurities should not be something that our families have to face,” Board Member Scott M. Schmerelson said. “In this unprecedented pandemic, having proper nutrition is essential for fighting off infections and staying healthy. Once again, I am thankful for our partners’ and staff’s tireless efforts that have allowed us to reach yet another milestone by providing 1.5 million meals in a single day to our Los Angeles Unified families.”

“Hunger doesn’t take a holiday, and LA Unified will continue to support the needs of our families and school communities with the nation’s largest school-based food bank operation,” Board Member Nick Melvoin said. “As we provide 1.5 million meals in one day to keep our kids fed over the Thanksgiving break, we are thankful for all the schools, partners and employees helping to make this operation a success.”  

“Many people think that our school district just teaches kids, but our students’ families depend on us for many essential things – food foremost among them,” Board Member Jackie Goldberg said. “I am so proud of our district staff for making this amazing work happen. At a time when our students’ families have been in great need, we have shown that we have their backs.”

"Los Angeles Unified is proud to support the needs of our families throughout the year, but especially during the holiday break," Board Member Kelly Gonez said. "Our providing of multiple meals per family will help to ensure that, even in these difficult times, no family goes hungry this Thanksgiving. I was glad to join our great staff and volunteers this morning to help distribute these meals to families in the East San Fernando Valley."