Westside Food Bank Seeks Donations, Reduces Egg Distribution

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Ahead of the holiday season, Westside Food Bank is seeking donations after reporting the Santa Monica-based organization is cutting egg purchases by 20% this month and 50% in December.

The cut in egg purchases comes after rising inflation and an avian flu outbreak.

The cost of eggs tripled over the last three months, according to WSFB. The local food bank said $30,000 can currently get 22 pallets of an assortment of pantry staples, including tuna, rice and beans. Meanwhile, the same price tag can only afford 12 pallets of eggs.

“It’s even cheaper to buy 50 [pounds] of chicken compared to 20 [pounds] of eggs,” WSFB said in a statement. “We spend about $50,000 monthly on eggs. To prevent a 50% cut in egg purchases, we will need to raise $25,000 a month to meet current prices … In order to accommodate these high costs, we are reducing the number of eggs we buy.”

WSFB said it will be switching to a bi-weekly egg distribution, as opposed to its previous weekly distribution. The product decrease will directly impact the families, as eggs are one of WSFB’s “most popular items.”

“We really don’t want to have to cut our purchases because we know families rely on these eggs,” WSFB President and CEO Genevieve Riutort said in a statement. “They want to make scrambled eggs for breakfast, pancakes, protein smoothies and all the different ways people use eggs.”

WSFB encouraged members of the community to help by donating.

“Without additional support, WSFB will have to pivot to less expensive protein sources,” according to a statement.

Westside Food Bank is a nonprofit that provides food to social service agencies across West Los Angeles, including Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, West Hollywood and near LAX.

Founded in 1981, Westside Food Bank serves vulnerable populations, including women and children living in domestic violence shelters, homeless individuals, veterans, and individuals who need help making ends meet, according to its website.

For more information, visit wsfb.org. To make a donation, visit wsfb.org/donatenow.