[dropcap size=big]W[/dropcap]hen it comes to the hungry, Los Angeles County has an eating disorder. Well, technically, it's a disorder of food supply, demand, and distribution.
The county has the nation's largest population of people who are "food insecure," or don't know where their next meal is coming from. At the same time, the food banks that serve the region have to throw away food or turn down donations because of lack of adequate storage space or the means to get food to people who need it, and the difficulty in matching the flow of food donations to the demand.
All of this results in a lot of food waste and frustration for those working to support people struggling to survive in the region with a cost of living among the highest in the country.
"Our warehouses are almost always over capacity," explained Genevieve Riutort, chief development officer for the Westside Food Bank. "That is a real challenge for us – to have enough space – because Los Angeles is very expensive."