A Long Beach food bank closed its doors as state investigators investigated allegations that the nonprofit’s former CEO misused funds.
“The Food Bank of Southern California has fully investigated the allegations involving former CEO Jeanne Cooper, through both internal and external investigations,” said current CEO Brian Weaver. “When these allegations were first brought to the attention of our board, we took them very seriously and immediately conducted an internal investigation, suspending Ms. Cooper pending the outcome.”
Opened in 1975, the Food Bank of Southern California serves low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, including Compton, San Pedro, Antelope Valley and North Long Beach. According to the nonprofit’s website, the company has won awards for its “sound budget management and commitment to accountability and transparency.”
“After preliminary findings revealed that she had used Food Bank funds for personal gain and for purposes unrelated to our operations or mission, she was permanently removed from her position,” Weaver said. “We have also engaged an outside firm to conduct its own thorough investigation, and we await their final report.”
Weaver also stated that the nonprofit ceased all operations as the California Department of Social Services conducted its investigation.
“For nearly fifty years, the Food Bank has played an integral role in our community, providing an average of 40 million pounds of food annually to more than 1.9 million people in need,” he said. “We know how important our assistance is to so many here, and we are working hard to restore full services as quickly as possible.”
With the closure, Social Services said it will work with other pantries to fill the gap left in the wake of the Food Bank.
