The Los Angeles Rams recently partnered with BELLA+CANVAS to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Los Angeles Unified School District and Inglewood Unified School District. 

"BELLA+CANVAS co-founder, Marco DeGeorge, reached out and wanted to work with us to identify some non-profits and schools who could benefit from mask donations," said Molly Higgins, Rams vice president of community affairs and engagement. "I quickly sent emails to a couple of our community partners to gauge interest and within minutes, the grateful responses came in." 

Face coverings were donated to Los Angeles Unified School District and Inglewood Unified School District, both of which are operating "grab and go" meal distributions for students and families in need. 

"It's important for everyone to wear a clean, disposable face cover to slow the spread of COVID-19. Our ability as a community to come together and supply masks to those in need is essential," said Marco DeGeorge, Co-Founder of BELLA+CANVAS. "We were excited to partner with the LA Rams to ensure that schools and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, vital parts of the community, are protected with face coverings."

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank received 15,500 masks which were then provided to the Food Bank's network of Partner Agencies who continue to distribute food throughout Los Angeles County. The Food Bank distributes food through direct programs such as drive-through distributions, but also through 600 partner agencies who distribute food at roughly 900 sites across Los Angeles County. The Food Bank and Partner Agencies provide food to children and their families who need assistance due to school closures, senior citizens and others who have been impacted by the coronavirus crisis.

"Distributing food to those in need is critical, but it's also critical to keep our staff, volunteers and partners safe," said Michael Flood, LA Regional Food Bank's President and CEO. "These masks will help to keep our frontline workers healthy and able to continue their essential work."

Prior to the global pandemic, it was estimated that one in five people struggle with food insecurity in Los Angeles County, including one in four children. LA County has more food-insecure individuals than any county in the nation. Thanks to donors, the Food Bank can provide healthy food for more than 300,000 people each month. Since the outbreak of the virus, that number has surged to over 475,000 people, and this generous gift from BELLA+CANVAS will help the program staff, volunteers, agency partners and clients stay safe while they distribute nutritious food to people who are currently in need of food assistance.

BELLA+CANVAS is a Los Angeles-based apparel company in the United States with a mission to build in America by creating more jobs with the largest manufacturing operation in North America. Known for making some of the best fitting and feeling tees in the world, BELLA+CANVAS is an innovator in the wholesale apparel space, constantly developing new fabrics such as its signature 'Airlume' cotton. Committed to sustainability, BELLA+CANVAS manufactures tees responsibly by minimizing its ecological footprint at every stage of the production process.