"Demand for food is 'staggering'

The number of Los Angeles County residents seeking help from food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters skyrocketed 46 percent in the last four years as the country plunged into recession, according to a report issued Tuesday. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

The Los Angeles Regional Foodbank report found that the number of residents seeking food assistance grew from 674,100 in 2005 to a record 983,400 last year. The number of children receiving food assistance more than doubled from 185,000 to 393,000 in that time.

"This means one in 10 people in Los Angeles County are seeking food assistance," Foodbank President Michael Flood said. "The number of children has increased markedly, which is very concerning to us."