Food Recovery and Redistribution Initiative

Food insecurity and access to basic needs

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

EDA is committed to addressing critical issues of food waste and food insecurity in Los Angeles. We recognize that these challenges disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty. By redistributing surplus meals to those in need, particularly in areas with high rates of food insecurity, we strive to impact communities most in need. We are in our fourth year of operation and are on track to rescue over 80,000 food items this year. Our organization's understanding of the issues of food waste and food insecurity is rooted in a commitment to social justice and community well-being. We are not only reducing food waste but also addressing the urgent need for nutritious food among vulnerable populations. Through our partnerships and outreach efforts to provide balanced meals, we are making a big difference in the lives of individuals experiencing food insecurity in Los Angeles.

This grant would support the expansion of our food reallocation program, daily operations, and storage capacity, enabling us to increase the number of meals rescued and delivered to communities facing food insecurity. We redistribute food items from large food generators to an expansive map across LA. The food we save is of high nutritional value, containing proteins, vegetables, and essential grains needed to create a balanced diet, and is delivered directly to beneficiaries of all ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and beyond. Organizations we support include The Entertainment Community Fund, The Alexandria House, The Midnight Mission, New Directions for Veterans, The Translatina Coalition, The Center, Bridge to Home, About my Father’s Business, LA Mission, Veteran’s Row, Youth Emerging Stronger, Five Acres, ROC-ERA, LA Family Housing, Beacon Light Mission, LA Community Fridges, and Hope the Mission. Our approach to fighting food insecurity is unique because we are reducing waste from landfills while feeding those in need simultaneously. Additionally, we distribute hygiene kits to the unhoused and host a community cooking event every Thanksgiving, feeding over 1300 in 2023. All of our programs will become more sustainable and allow for expansion with this possible funding.

Our model for saving gourmet food and redistributing to those in need is simple, easy, and scalable. The more funding EDA receives, the more we will be able to support and serve. We hope to create a shared warehouse space with this grant, increasing the number we are able to feed and the number of beneficiaries we support. Working in collaboration with other nonprofits doing similar work would enable us to support each other both financially and operationally. Warehouse hubs like our proposed Food Insecurity Shared Hub (F.I.S.H.) that house multiple nonprofits working together to feed and help the unhoused and underserved could become a new standard practice for such organizations. Over the next year, we hope to work with SELAH, DEPAUL, and Meal and Wheels to develop F.I.S.H. into a space that allows us to support Los Angeles much more efficiently through collaboration. EDA alone might be able to double our impact with a warehouse hub to support our food program.

We meticulously track the meals rescued and distributed through our team of reallocators who document each pickup and drop-off. They ensure accurate data collection by recording details such as meal types, quantities, weight, donor, and recipient. This information is then compiled into comprehensive reports that provide insights into our daily operations and impact. By analyzing these reports, we can identify trends, optimize our routes for efficiency, assess waste outputs, and make informed decisions to enhance our food redistribution efforts. Additionally, our reports enable us to share transparent and detailed information, showcasing the tangible outcomes of our program in real time. This allows us to track the number of individuals we are feeding daily and where in the city we are supporting most. The sheer number we are able to help and the feedback we receive from beneficiaries daily is evidence this program is essential to our city and the waste issue SB13-83 is aiming to solve.

EDA, SELAH, DEPAUL, and MOW all serve the unhoused and underserved in different areas of outreach with different methods. This shared hub will allow all four to work both independently and collaboratively, elevating our work and increasing our ability to support each other more effectively. MOW will use the space for short term storage, with a 5th nonprofit possibly sharing their space in the future. SELAH will use the space for storage and to elevate their ability to serve food. DEPAUL, with its nearby facility, will use the space for storage as needed and possibly share with a 6th nonprofit in the future. EDA is already supporting SELAH and DEPAUL monthly through our food reallocation program and will be able to do so more frequently and more effectively when working side by side.