Bruce Rankin has been WSFB’s Executive Director since 1989.
Under Bruce’s leadership, the Westside Food Bank has grown from a scrappy grassroots effort to a central organization in the community’s food assistance network, working with over 70 non-profit social service programs and member agencies to distribute millions of pounds of food to over 200,000 individuals in need and their families in western Los Angeles County.
Make your gift to the Bruce Rankin Sustainability Fund now.
For more than three decades, Bruce has worked diligently to improve access to nutritious food in our community and throughout California. He is one of the founders of, and the Board member with the longest tenure of service to the California Association of Food Banks, which works to coordinate food banks throughout the state to create a more equitable food system through sharing best practices, advocating for better food policy, supporting the state’s agricultural system, and providing food to people in need.
Bruce has been a powerful advocate for low-income individuals and families over the years, and his efforts have resulted in removing barriers and improving access to CalFresh and other government safety net programs, better coordination of food programs throughout Los Angeles and California, and sustaining a robust network of food assistance programs for anyone in need on the Westside of Los Angeles County.
Bruce is a longtime Board member of the Westside Coalition on Housing, Hunger, and Health, and has played a pivotal role in amplifying the impact of that network of service providers, faith organizations, government agencies, and concerned citizens working to improve the day-to-day lives of the most vulnerable members of our community.
Feeding a Community in Need
Bruce has a passion for eliminating hunger and food insecurity among local people and he has worked tirelessly to improve access to nutritious food among families with children, senior citizens, veterans, and college students among others.
Bruce’s steadfast leadership positioned Westside Food Bank to be ready to respond to the biggest increase in the need for food assistance in four decades. His work has fed generations of Angelenos, including tens of thousands of people who had never experienced food insecurity prior to COVID.
Over the last year, Bruce worked with closely with key WSFB staff and Board members to update our Strategic Plan and leave the organization with a roadmap to ensuring the long-term sustainability of our service to the community. The Strategic Plan includes goals and initiatives in the areas of operations, finances, fund development, and community engagement. It is designed to help us expand our capacity to meet a local need that remains double the level experienced before the beginning of the COVID crisis while maintaining our standards of nutritional balance, efficiency, and safety. Most importantly, the Strategic Plan guides us towards goals and practices that secure Westside Food Bank’s ability to serve the community for as long as there remains a need.
Honoring the past, building for the future
To honor Bruce’s legacy of service we created the Bruce Rankin Sustainability Fund to support his vision for Westside Food Bank’s future as detailed in our Strategic Plan. We hope you will join us in making a gift that honors Bruce’s more than three decades of service and helps to secure Westside Food Bank’s future.
View Westside Food Bank’s Strategic Plan Overview and Executive Summary.