Lancaster to give away $100K worth of infant formula to local residents

The City of Lancaster is mobilizing to help mothers desperate to find formula amid a nationwide shortage.

In partnership with LA County, Lancaster purchased $100,000 worth of formula from nonprofit Baby2Baby to distribute to Lancaster residents. 

"The formula shortage is an absolute emergency for families living in poverty, and we are using every resource at our disposal to urgently get it to the families we serve," Baby2Baby co-CEOs Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein said in a statement.

Lancaster's giveaway is expected to be begin at the end of June.

"It is our priority to ensure the citizens of Lancaster have access to basic necessities, that includes baby formula," Mayor R. Rex Parris said in a statement. "We understand that the current formula shortage is upsetting for many families across the country, including right here in Lancaster."

A recall in April forced Abbott Nutrition — the maker of Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare — to shut down its Michigan factory, leading to a severe shortage of infant formula across the nation. And with the ongoing supply chain problems, approximately 40% of infant formula is reported to be out of stock in stores across the country.

Abbott last week entered a consent decree with the FDA to reopen the plant, but because shelves aren't expected to be restocked for another six to eight weeks after the site is restarted, the White House sent military planes to fly 70,000 pounds of baby formula from Germany over the weekend.

Lancaster city officials say residents interested in participating in the giveaway can get more information at www.cityoflancasterca.gov.