GWEN IFILL AND
MY MOM,
PHILOMENA CAROL %
LOMENA, WILL %
LOOK DOWN FROM %
HEAVEN AND BE
PROUD. %
>>> WHILE
AMERICAN %
UNEMPLOYMENT %
SOARS IN THE %
PANDEMIC, MANY %
ARE TURNING TO %
FOOD BANKS FOR %
HELP. %
IN LOS ANGELES %
TODAY, NEARLY %
2,000 PEOPLE
LINED UP FOR %
DONATIONS. %
MANY OF THEM %
THERE FOR THE % FIRST TIME.
FIRST TIME.
NBC NEWS
CORRESPONDENT, %
STEVE PATTERSON
JOINS ME NOW,
FROM WHERE THE %
FOOD BANK %
OPERATES.
STEVE, TELL US %
ABOUT WHAT YOU %
HAVE SEEN THERE
TODAY. %
>> WELL, A LOT
OF THANKFUL %
FACES, SAVANNAH. %
PEOPLE THAT HAVE %
BEEN %
UNDERSERVED. %
AND REALLY, IN A
HARD SITUATION
BECAUSE OF THE %
CORONAVIRUS. %
THE JOB MARKET
HAS REALLY YET %
TO FULLY RECOVER %
OR EVEN HALFWAY
TO THAT, TO %
REALLY BEING
ABLE TO SAY THAT %
THINGS ARE BACK %
TO NORMAL OR %
EVEN CLOSE TO %
NORMAL. %
AND YOU COULD
REALLY SEE THAT %
TODAY. %
ABOUT 1400 %
PEOPLE, THE %
ESTIMATE CAME
THROUGH HERE. %
THIS IS THE L.A. %
REGIONAL FOOD %
BANK. %
THEY WERE DOING
THIS SINCE THE %
PANDEMIC %
STARTED, SERVING %
HUNDREDS TO %
THOUSANDS TO %
PEOPLE, AT ONE %
TIME. %
THEY ESTIMATE %
THAT
THEY’VEPROBABLY %
HANDED OUT SOME %
90 MILLION
POUNDS OF FOOD, %
JUST IN THE
PANDEMIC ALONE. %
THAT EQUATES TO %
ABOUT 70 MILLION %
MEALS. %
TODAY WAS NO %
DIFFERENT. %
WE SPOKE TO %
PEOPLE IN LINE. %
A LOT OF THEM, %
IT WAS THEIR %
FIRST TIME %
GETTING %
ASSISTANCE LIKE %
THIS. %
BUT WE’RE JUST
PUT OUT BY THE %
PANDEMIC.
OTHERS HAVE %
TAKEN ADVANTAGE %
OF IT BEFORE.
BUT WE’RE %
SKIPPING MEALS.
OR WE’RE EATING
THINGS THAT WERE
KIND OF IN THEIR %
CABINET, LEFT %
OVER. %
INSTEAD OF BEING %
ABLE TO COME %
AROUND THE TABLE %
AND HAVE A FULL %
MEAL. %
IN MANY CASES,
WITH THEIR %
CHILDREN OR WITH
THEIR %
GRANDMOTHER OR %
FAMILY. %
THIS GAVE THEM %
OPPORTUNITY TO %
DO THAT. %
AND THAT’S WHAT %
IS SO SPECIAL %
ABOUT THIS. %
BUT %
UNFORTUNATELY,
IT ALSO SPEAKS
TO THE FACT THAT %
CORONAVIRUS IS
IN MANY CASES, %
ALSO SURGING AND %
ALSO SUPPRESSING %
WHAT IS %
HAPPENING IN THE %
JOB MARKET HERE %
IN CALIFORNIA. %
THIS IS A MARKET
THAT REALLY %
DEPENDS ON THE %
ENTERTAINMENT %
BUSINESS, %
TOURISM AND %
HOSPITALITY. %
AND A LOT OF %
THAT IS STILL %
SHUT DOWN %
THROUGHOUT THE %
STATE. %
IF YOU LOOK AT %
THE STATE, WE’RE
STILL RECOVERING %
AT A 13% %
UNEMPLOYMENT %
RATE, COMPARED %
TO THE REST OF %
THE COUNTRY, %
WHICH IS AT 10%. %
AND IF YOU DIAL %
IN L.A. %
COUNTY ALONE,
IT’S ABOUT 17% %
UNEMPLOYMENT. %
SO LOOKING AND %
COMPARING TO THE %
REST OF THE %
NATION, A LOT OF %
PEOPLE ARE STILL
IN DIRE STRAITS %
HERE. %
THIS, THANKFULLY %
IS ONE OF THOSE
STUDENT WHERE %
PEOPLE CAN GET
SOMETHING TO %
EAT. %
PUT SOME FOOD ON %
THE TABLE FOR %
THEMSELVES AND %
THEIR FAMILY. %
SO IT WAS GOOD
TO SEE THAT. %
BUT STILL SPEAKS %
TO THE FACT THAT %
THINGS ARE BAD %
HERE WHEN IT %
COMES TO THE JOB %
MARKET.
SAVANNAH?%
STEVE, I JUST
LOVED THE WAY %
YOU PUT THAT. %
HUMANIZING.%
AND IT’S NOT %
JUST THE PALLETS %
AND CRATES.
IT’S THE %
OPPORTUNITY OF %
PEOPLE HAVING
THE OPPORTUNITY %
TO HAVE A MEAL %
WITH THEIR %
FAMILY. %
I KNOW YOU SPOKE %
WITH THE CEO OF %
THE FOOD BANK.
WHAT DID HE TELL
YOU? %
>> HE WAS %
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT %
WHAT THEY WERE %
ABLE TO DO. %
AND WHAT THEY %
ABLE TO CONTINUE %
TO DO. %
BUT AGAIN, HE %
SAID BASICALLY, %
THAT THEY HAVE
BEEN GOING %
NONSTOP SINCE %
THIS STARTED. %
IN A WAY IN %
WHICH IS VERY %
DRAMATIC.
YOU KNOW. %
AND AT A LEVEL, %
WE HAVEN’T %
REALLY SEEN
SINCE THE GREAT %
RECESSION IN %
2008. %
BUT EVEN NOW %
BEYOND THAT. %
JUST BECAUSE THE
LEVEL OF NEED IS %
SO HIGH. %
IT CONTINUES TO % BE SO HIGH.
BE SO HIGH.
YOU KNOW, BACK
WHEN THE %
UNEMPLOYMENT %
RATE WAS EVEN %
MUCH HIGHER A
FEW MONTHS AGO. %
THEY STILL SEE %
THIS SUSTAINED %
PRESSURE OF
PEOPLE THAT NEED %
HELP. %
AND IT DOESN’T %
APPEAR TO BE %
GOING ANYWHERE. %
AND EVEN IF THIS %
WERE TO END %
TOMORROW OR NEXT %
WEEK, THEY WOULD %
STILL NEED TO BE %
ABLE TO FEED %
PEOPLE. %
BECAUSE THE JOB %
MARKET, YOU %
KNOW, WE SEE %
THAT LAG, WHERE %
IT TAKES A WHILE
TO RECOVER, EVEN
AFTER THINGS %
HAVE GONE %
ESSENTIALLY BACK
TO NORMAL. %
OR AT LEAST %
GETTING TO BACK %
TO NORMAL. %
HERE’S WHAT HE %
SAID ABOUT JUST %
WHAT THE NEED
IS. %
LISTEN TO THIS. %
>> THE NEEDS
HAVE SPIKED UP %
SIGNIFICANTLY, % RIGHT AWAY.
RIGHT AWAY.
PLUS 80%
INCREASED %
DISTRIBUTION %
WHEN THE %
PANDEMIC FIRST %
STARTED.
AND NOW WE’RE AT
125% INCREASE ON %
FOOD ACQUISITION %
AND FOOD %
DISTRIBUTION. %
SO WE SEE IT AT %
THIS REALLY %
HISTORIC LEVEL %
FOR THE FOOD %
BANK. %
>> 125% %
INCREASE. %
YOU HEARD IT
THERE. %
THAT IS AN %
INCREDIBLE %
ASTRONOMICAL %
SPIKE THAT THEY %
HAD TO DEAL
WITH. %
BUT THEY’VE DONE
IT REALLY %
EFFICIENTLY. %
I MEAN, BEHIND %
ME. %
THIS THING IS %
RUNNING LIKE A %
WELL-OILED %
MACHINE. %
YOU COULDN’T %
REALLY TELL THAT %
1400 PEOPLE CAME %
THROUGH. %
BECAUSE THEY’RE %
SO EFFICIENT AT %
DOING IT. %
THEY HAVE BEEN %
FEEDING PEOPLE %
FOR SO LONG, %
THAT THEY %
ESSENTIALLY KNOW %
HOW TO DO IT. %
BUT AGAIN, %
HERE’S SAYING %
THIS THING COULD
CONTINUE FOR A %
VERY LONG TIME. %
LUCKILY, WITH
THEIR %
PARTNERSHIPS, %
BOTH AT THE %
STATE, LOCAL, %
NATIONAL LEVEL. %
AND WITH THE
VOLUNTEERS THAT %
HAVE REALLY %
STEPPED UP. %
WITH THE
DONATIONS THAT
HAVE STEPPED UP %
IN THIS
PANDEMIC. %
THEY’RE ABLE TO %
SUSTAIN THIS %
AMOUNT OF %
PRESSURE. SAVANNAH?%
SAVANNAH?%
>> STEVE, THANK %
YOU SO MUCH.
AND AGAIN, I
JUST LOVE YOU %
REALLY %
HUMANIZING IT, %
MAKING US POINT
OUT THAT THESE %
ARE MEALS FOR
PEOPLE TO HAVE
WITH THEIR %
FAMILIES. %
THINGS, ANYTHING %
NORMAL. %
ANYTHING THAT IS %
GOING TO GET %
PEOPLE THROUGH. %
THEY NEED TO %
EAT. %
THEY NEED THESE %
THINGS. %
THANKS FOR YOUR % REPORTING THERE. %
REPORTING THERE. %
>> Reporter: