Los Angeles soup kitchen sees growing demands as food insecurity grips US

China

Los Angeles soup kitchen sees growing demands as food insecurity grips US

2025-06-29 15:49 Last Updated At：06-30 00:07

A soup kitchen in Los Angeles, the United States has seen growing demands for free meals as American families are struggling to afford adequate food.

Every morning, dozens of people line up as early as 08:00 to get a free hot meal at Bread and Roses, a soup kitchen run by the St. Joseph Center in Los Angeles.

The majority of the clients are unemployed and homeless, and their numbers have grown in recent years.

"Honestly, the cost of living is just crushing people right now. Even folks with jobs can't afford rent and food at the same time, and with a lot of the support programs getting cut, more people are slipping through the cracks. Bread and Roses is one of the only spots left where you can come in, sit down, eat a real meal, not be judged and that is what makes a difference," said James Cunningham, head chef of Bread and Roses.

Food insecurity is on the rise in the United States. A report by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows a steady increase in the number of American families struggling to provide enough food because of inflation and a roll-back of COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts.

In 2023, around 13.5 percent of households were "food insecure", said the USDA report, which was about 18 million families, putting more strain on the country's largest hunger-relief network -- the food banks.

Experts say the expiration of the pandemic-era programs along with stagnant wages and the rising costs of living have played a significant part.

In addition, the Trump administration has cut about a billion dollars in federal funding for hunger relief programs and 500 million U.S. dollars in expected food deliveries. This has left food banks scrambling for resources.

With government assistance dwindling, places like soup kitchens and food banks are becoming the last safety net for vulnerable individuals and families facing food insecurity in the U.S.

Nicaraguan FM warns of militarism revival

Nicaragua's co-foreign minister Valdrack Jaentschke has warned that militarism must never be allowed to rise again, as Japan's recent moves to lift its arms export ban and revise the pacifist Constitution continue to draw international concern.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, where Japan's Class-A war criminals from World War II were brought to justice.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Valdrack Jaentschke voiced his concern that today's world order is being undermined by interventionism and other challenges.

"It is necessary for us to remember that after the end of World War II, countries worked hard to build a new international order based on international law. However, regrettably, more than 80 years later, we are seeing that this once explored and attempted order is being challenged by interventionism, a confrontational mindset, and tendencies like 'might makes right.' These are precisely the conditions that gave rise to fascism and militarism in the past, which ultimately led to the tragedy of World War II," he said.

He said the international community has a responsibility to pursue a new international order -- one fundamentally grounded in peace.

"Looking back at the history more than eight decades ago and comparing it with today's reality, it is our responsibility to recognize that the world should, and must, build a new international order that is more just, fairer, rooted in international law, based on a logic of mutual benefit and shared success, and fundamentally grounded in peace," said the minister.

"Today, as we revisit the Tokyo Trials, it is meant to remind the world that such a tragedy must never be repeated -- and that we must do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. We must stop that dark world -- born from militarism, interventionism, and fascism -- from ever returning," he said.