While the parking lots outside of SoFi Stadium are yet to be filled with cars and tailgates for Rams football, the team still used their new home at SoFi Stadium to serve Angelenos who are battling food insecurity.
On September 9, the Rams teamed up with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to host a mobile food distribution at the team's new home in Inglewood. The distribution served approximately 2,300 families and more than 9,000 individuals with meal kits that included 70 pounds of food, which is enough to provide a week of meals for a family of four.
Rams Cheerleaders, Rampage and front office staff volunteered to help load meal kits in a socially distanced and safe manner.
"Since returning home to Los Angeles in 2016, the Rams have been partnering with the Food Bank to help provide access to food for Angelenos in need," said Molly Higgins, Vice President of Community Affairs and Engagement, Los Angeles Rams. "To us, food insecurity is social injustice. That's why we've decided to fund distributions like this outside of SoFi Stadium to feed thousands of families that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic."
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 began, the Food Bank has hosted more than 120 emergency drive-thru food distributions, each one serving between 1,000 and 7,560 families. The Food Bank's distribution numbers have increased by roughly 125% since the start of the pandemic.
"Thank you to the Los Angeles Rams and SoFi Stadium for making today's distribution possible," said Michael Flood, President and CEO of the LA Regional Food Bank. "People are hurting out there, and it takes all of us coming together as a community to help one another."
The initiative was part of a series of efforts that were designed to help tackle social injustices including food insecurity and education inequities ahead of the Rams' season opener at SoFi Stadium.
The Rams are teamed up with LA Regional Food Bank to host a mobile food distribution at SoFi Stadium.
"Community impact is a priority for the Rams, and as we prepared to open SoFi Stadium on Sunday Night Football, we wanted to first take care of our neighbors in need," said Higgins.
In March, the Rams raised more than $2.3 million to assist Southern California response efforts during the unprecedented global health crisis. All contributions are directly supporting community partners such as the LA Regional Food Bank and United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
"We appreciate the support of the Rams throughout the years," said Roger Castle, Chief Development Officer of the LA Regional Food Bank. "When the pandemic started, they immediately stepped up to raise millions of dollars for the Food Bank so we can do distributions like this."
If you would like to join the fight against hunger and donate to the LA Regional Food Bank, please click here.
For more information about the Rams' community outreach efforts, please visit www.therams.com/community.