Food Insecurity Shared Hub: Industrial Refrigeration Initiative

Affordable housing and homelessness

Central LA East LA South LA San Gabriel Valley West LA San Fernando Valley Gateway Cities South Bay Long Beach County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit)

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

Every Day Action has been addressing food insecurity among unhoused populations in LA for nearly 5 years, reallocating over 250,000 meals since its founding. Our daily interactions with the unhoused through our driver program provide us with a profound understanding of their struggles. We witness the dire housing crisis firsthand- thousands living on the street, tiny homes overflowing, shelters full, & rising rents exacerbating the situation. The recent wildfires have further diminished housing options, making access to food & resources more critical than ever.
F.I.S.H. collaborates with EDA, DePaul Los Angeles, SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, Community Space Food Bank, & St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, addressing various aspects of homelessness. We recognize that homelessness encompasses more than just a lack of shelter; it includes barriers to nutritious food, healthcare, & social support. By providing various resources, we are a direct part of solving this crisis our city faces.

This grant would enable us to install an industrial refrigerator & freezer in our shared warehouse, supporting the expansion of our food reallocation program & increasing our storage capacity. With this funding, we can enhance our operations & deliver more meals directly to unhoused communities & those facing food insecurity across Los Angeles.
We are committed to addressing the urgent housing crisis in our city, recognizing that access to nutritious food is fundamental for individuals & families in need. Many residents from Santa Clarita to San Pedro live in food deserts and on the street, limiting their access to healthy options. Food insecurity affects not only the unhoused but all neighborhoods across LA, impacting health, work, education, & community engagement. The consequences are profound, leading to increased stress, diminished mental health, & a cycle of poverty that is difficult to escape.
In response, we launched our F.I.S.H. collaboration to create a centralized facility for food recovery & redistribution while reducing waste. By rescuing surplus gourmet meals from film sets, restaurants, corporate events, & more, we redirect high-quality food to those in need across a 90-mile radius. This project addresses immediate hunger & fosters collaboration among multiple nonprofits, amplifying our collective impact. The urgency for funding is critical. As demand for food assistance of the unhoused rises, we must enhance our operations to meet community needs.

If fully funded, F.I.S.H. will be a cornerstone in realizing our goal: a world where no one in LA is unhoused or hungry. By creating a collaborative facility for food recovery & redistribution, we will significantly amplify the delivery of nutritious meals to those in need, ensuring immediate relief for the unhoused. Our partnerships with other food hubs, like The Hollywood Food Coalition's, will enhance our collective capacity to combat hunger & food waste through innovative collaboration.
F.I.S.H. will serve as a transformative model for similar initiatives across California & the U.S., specifically tailored to uplift unhoused individuals while promoting sustainability. Our vision is a more equitable Los Angeles, where nonprofits unite to provide comprehensive solutions for the unhoused, ensuring access to nutritious food & dignified living conditions. Together, we can create a community where no one goes hungry, everyone has a home, & the dignity of every individual is celebrated.