Ordering Schedule for Closure Date on Memorial Day - Monday, May 26, 2025
The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank will be closed on Monday, May 26, 2025, in observance of Memorial Day. Closure dates may affect your agency's ORDERING, PICK UP, and DELIVERY SCHEDULES. Please review the holiday schedule below, and plan accordingly.
We are honored to announce that All Peoples Community Center is the Agency of the Month for May 2025. Since 1985, All Peoples Community Center has made significant strides in addressing food insecurity, serving over 319,157 meals to needy individuals and families. Thank you for your long-standing partnership and for providing hope and dignity to those you serve.
Pantry Locator Update: Report Summer Hours
Neighbors in need often reach out to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank for referrals to pantries near them. The tool we use to assist with these referrals is our Website Pantry Locator.
With summer around the corner, we understand if your days and hours are changing to accommodate the heat and increased need from your neighbors. Please take a moment to visit our Website Pantry Locator, and find your listing on our site by searching with your zip code. If the information you find is correct, no action is needed. If the entry for your location is incorrect, please complete one of the forms below to reflect your current distribution dates and hours and submit the form to agency-relations@lafoodbank.org
The SUN Bucks Summer Food program has been renewed for 2025. This program provides families $40 per month for food in June, July, and August ($120 total). Most children who already qualify for free or reduced-price school meals through a school meal application or Universal Benefits Application, or receive CalFresh, CalWORKs, and/or Medi-Cal, are automatically enrolled.
Children in foster care, experiencing homelessness, and attending Head Start are also categorically eligible and are automatically enrolled. Some children may need to sign up. Additionally, participating in SUN Bucks does not affect a family’s immigration status.
The California Department of Education (CDE) has created a new Universal Benefits Application (UBA) template for use by local educational agencies that participate in a federal school nutrition program and operate under a federal provision.
The UBA qualifies students for SUN Bucks benefits. Any Free and Reduced-Price Meal records resulting from Universal Benefits Applications may also be used to identify which students meet the income eligibility criteria.
For assistance, visit the helpline number: (877) 328-9677 or visit CDSS Social Services on SUN Bucks for further eligibility information and resources.
Receiving a Confirmation Email With Agency Express Orders
Confirmation Emails:
If you do not receive a confirmation email, your order has not been placed successfully. If this is the case, please contact a member of Agency Relations. to assist with pushing your order through the system.
Agencies MUST Place Orders According to the Ordering Schedule
Ordering Schedule:
Pick up/Delivery/Shopping for MONDAYS order MUST be placed online the previous Wednesday after 5:00 p.m. to Thursday before 12:00 p.m.
Pick up/Delivery/Shopping for TUESDAYS order MUST be placed online the previous Thursday after 5:00 p.m. to Friday before 12:00 p.m.
Pick up/Delivery/Shopping for WEDNESDAYS order MUST be placed online the previous Friday after 5:00 p.m. to Monday before 12:00 p.m.
Pick up/Delivery/Shopping for THURSDAYS order MUST be placed online the previous Monday after 5:00 p.m. to Tuesday before 12:00 p.m.
Pick up/Delivery/Shopping for FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS order MUST be placed online the previous Tuesday after 5:00 p.m. to Wednesday before 12:00 p.m.
Best Practices Highlight -
Using Translators to Break Language Barriers
Effective communication and interactions are crucial for our way of life, thoughts, and speech in our diverse communities. It often requires us to step out of our comfort zone to integrate and overcome language barriers. For Best Practices, translators play an indispensable role for organizations and businesses by bridging the gap between different cultures and facilitating meaningful communication by breaking down language barriers.
If your agency needs help translating any documents or flyers, contact a member of the Agency Relations Team to assist you with this service. Also provided are references to four free platforms with valuable tools you can use to help convey your agency's values and objectives to an international audience.
Translation Commons, a non-profit public charity, aims to provide a reliable and scalable method of digitally rendering a language. To provide solutions and bring all the world's languages online, Translation Commons provides users with valuable resources and tools to fulfill their translation needs.
This translation app has professional interpreters in over 300 languages and offers on-demand interpreting services for urgent situations, or a language that you cannot cover in real-time. This app allows you to communicate without any barriers and is great for non-profit organizations.
Tarjimly is a mobile and web platform and offers free services such as interpretation and translation, is great for non-profit organizations without a budget.
Nutrition Services
Canned Salmon
Try this easy-to-make salad featuring canned salmon!
Women need key nutrients like iron, calcium, and protein for strength and energy, while healthy fats support hormone balance and overall well-being. A balanced diet helps women thrive at any age. Use the following link to learn more about other essential nutrients for women.
Reminder that Up to Date TEFAP Sign In Sheets are REQUIRED for all TEFAP Distributions.
The 2025 sign in process is simpler for you and for recipients. The revision of this year’s sign in sheets have affected the Alternative Pick Up Request form and the Sign-in Sheet.
Revision Updates:
Alternative Pick Up Request form removes the full address requirement and replaces it with the “County of Residence"
Sign-in Sheets removes the full address requirement and replaces it with the “County of Residence”
This does not remove the requirements of ensuring that all other information fields are completed on the Alternative Pick Up Request form and the Sign-in Sheet.
TEFAP participants cannot be required to provide identification documents in order to receive USDA foods. TEFAP participants can self-attest residency by providing a zip code or county of residence.
Information for Extra Helpings Agency Participants
Extra Helpings Huddle
Starting in May, we are creating an opportunity for our Extra Helpings agencies to meet and share their thoughts. We will hold an online meeting every fourth Friday of the month to discuss various topics, including:
Use of Donation Receipts
MealConnect Entries
Best Practices
A Q&A session to address any questions
We look forward to seeing you at the first Extra Helpings Huddle on Friday, 5/23/25. Please view our Agency Training Calendar schedule for more information.
Agency Agreement Reminders
All Food Bank agencies have signed an agreement detailing their responsibilities while participating in Food Bank programs. Below is a highlight of policies that must be adhered to by all our agency partners. Otherwise, your account may be placed on hold until the concern is resolved.
All Agencies Agree:
Non-Profit Entity Status Up To Date
To have a current ruling Letter of Determination from the Internal Revenue Service IRS 501 (c)(3) (not a private 501c3 foundation), and California Franchise Tax Board 2370(1)(d) verifying tax-exempt status. Agency acknowledges that it intends to comply with the restrictions on the receipt, use, and transfer of donated property, as described in Section 170(e) and any amendments to the code.
To Provide The Food Bank with Updates on TEFAP Non-Profit Status
To provide the Food Bank with copies of documents described above.
Warehouse Policies Update
Appointments Required for Shopping
You must have an appointment for Shopping Only. Shopping appointments are created through Agency Express. If you need assistance with creating a shopping appointment, please email agency-relations@lafoodbank.org.
Shopping is available at the City of Industry Warehouse Location.
Safety at the LARFB Facilities
Please enter the warehouse through the assigned doors and not through the wide, “roll-up” door or loading dock.
This includes when the equipment operators are loading your vehicle. Representatives may not be within 20 feet of a moving piece of equipment.
These policies are implemented to enhance safety and streamline our processes, ensuring that we continue to serve our communities effectively. Please see below a list of additional warehouse policies that must be adhered to while conducting business at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
Civil Rights Training is mandatory training for all staff of volunteers at TEFAP Sites who interact with participants. The Food Bank Agency Relations Team offers this training monthly.
Do you need a refresher course or have new team members who would benefit from learning about online ordering, agency shopping, monthly reporting, or food distribution policies? Please ask all your staff or long-standing volunteers to attend the next virtual Food Bank 101 training!
Refresher for Online Ordering and Monthly Reporting - Emergency Pantry and TEFAP Pantry Agencies
This refresher training is designed to review the fundamentals of monthly reporting and online ordering. If you need assistance with your reports, you are welcome to join us in this session to ask any questions you may need answered regarding your reports.
Extra Helpings Compliance Huddle (Extra Helpings Program Participants Only)
The EH online meeting is a great opportunity for participants to come together and share their thoughts and ideas on various topics. These include best practices, the basics of MealConnect entries, and open discussions about any questions you may have regarding the program. Online meetings will be held on the fourth Friday of each month. We look forward to seeing you at the first Huddle on Friday, 5/23/25.
We’re having a training session on compliance for the Neighbor Intake Program. We’ll go over the important rules that need to be followed to keep everything running smoothly. Whether you're new to the program or just want a quick refresher, this compliance training will give you some useful guidance.
If you're in SPA 6 & 7 Only We invite you to attend our in-person SPA 6 & 7 meeting, where we will discuss program updates. The meeting will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m. Due to space limits, each agency may have no more than one representative. We look forward to seeing you.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Address: The City of Industry Warehouse
2300 Pellissier Pl City of Industry, CA 90601 (Freeberg Conference Center)
Diaper Pantry Program Compliance Session (Diaper Participating Agencies Only)
Does your agency participate in the Diaper Program? We are conducting a 30-minute training session every third Thursday of the month. This will allow us to answer some frequently asked questions and provide you with ideas on how to run a successful diaper giveaway distribution, including monthly reporting.
Thank you for receiving and reviewing our monthly Agency Relations Newsletter. If you have anyone on your team that you feel would also benefit from this information, please fill out the following form:
