Donations are needed to support the Los Angeles Metropolitan YMCA’s food distribution programs, which target hunger faced by many in Southern California.

Rising food costs, job cutbacks, reduced work schedules, and other pressures, are making food insecurity a stubborn fact of life for more than 800,000 Los Angeles County households — nearly a quarter of the total (24%) in Los Angeles County.

Some 24% of households experienced food insecurity over the 12 months ending July 2022, up from 17% in 2021, according to a new study released by Public Exchange at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and funded by the National Science Foundation.

“Any notion that we’re largely ‘out of the woods’ with regard to the problem of hunger in Los Angeles is sadly off base,” said lead researcher Kayla de la Haye, associate professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “Some of the Angelenos most impacted are Latinos, young adults and families with kids.”

YMCA-LA, which has long stood as a beacon of hope in the community, needs help during the holiday season to continue serving many thousands of meals each week.

Financial donations to provide food are critical during the holiday season,” according to Ali Sahabi, co-founder of Optimum Seismic, Inc., who also serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Metropolitan YMCA. “While Optimum Seismic is just one company, we contributed $25,000 again this year to assist. It’s very important for businesses large and small to help provide food for the hungry in the Los Angeles area.”

“Any notion that we’re largely ‘out of the woods’ with regard to the problem of hunger in Los Angeles is sadly off base,” said lead researcher Kayla de la Haye, associate professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “Some of the Angelenos most impacted are Latinos, young adults and families with kids.”

YMCA-LA, which has long stood as a beacon of hope in the community, needs help during the holiday season to continue serving many thousands of meals each week.

Financial donations to provide food are critical during the holiday season,” according to Ali Sahabi, co-founder of Optimum Seismic, Inc., who also serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Metropolitan YMCA. “While Optimum Seismic is just one company, we contributed $25,000 again this year to assist. It’s very important for businesses large and small to help provide food for the hungry in the Los Angeles area.”

Donations may be made to the YMCA-LA online at http://events.ymcala.org/goto/optimumseismic.