From Surplus to Sustainability: Preparing for Tomorrow, Preserving Today

Income inequality

Gateway Cities South Bay Long Beach

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Low-income Angelenos face disproportionate risk during disasters. Without the means to stockpile, they prioritize their daily needs, a pattern identified in a 2023 report that highlights how low-income households are at a greater risk during emergencies. Rising living costs and climate disasters make this work urgent. Food insecurity, already linked to homelessness and health issues, worsens after disasters, affecting 25% of LA County households and 41% of low-income households. One overlooked way to reduce this risk is through food preservation, yet no local pantry currently offers it. When fires recently swept through LA, our recipients waiting in food lines shared how their grandparents preserved food during the Great Depression. These stories revealed both need and opportunity. They reminded us that preparation was once a communal effort. While few today know how to preserve food, the knowledge lives in memory, and with the proper support, it can be revived.

LBCT is launching a unique food preservation initiative integrated into our food aid services for over 6,000 Angelenos weekly. It combines emergency food relief with climate resilience and cultural preservation, setting it apart from traditional food aid services.
The initiative includes three components: (1) drying surplus pantry items to extend shelf life and redistribute them to households in need; (2) establishing a shared kitchen where neighbors can learn culturally specific and climate-conscious preservation techniques; and (3) collecting oral histories to restore intergenerational knowledge and traditional methods. Together, these elements help reduce food waste, strengthen disaster preparedness, and reconnect people with time-honored practices.
This initiative is a direct response to the voices of those we serve. After the fires, food recipients shared Depression-era family practices—meat hung from rafters, cabbage salted for sauerkraut. These memories reflect a readiness to revive forgotten skills. We’re committed to introducing this model in phases, shaped by community feedback and designed for lasting impact.
Our approach addresses both immediate hunger and long-term resilience. Few pantries prioritize preparedness before a crisis, and none use food preservation as a grassroots solution. This will not only make a significant and lasting impact on our community, but it is a replicable model for food security rooted in dignity, heritage, and sustainability.

In the first year, we’ll model food drying of surplus produce and proteins delivered to our sites, which include parks, housing units, and our pantry. Recipients will also receive recipes and ideas for use. Our long-term vision is a shift in food security, where we learn and practice converting fresh food into a shelf-stable form together. This initiative not only extends shelf life and increases food access but also creates a sustainable solution. As the program continues, neighbors will preserve food alongside staff and volunteers, reconnecting with family stories and cultural traditions. Our vision is to equip communities vulnerable to disasters with tools to improve food security, preserve traditions, and reduce waste through training and support on a scalable model of food equity and preparedness, benefiting 832,000 food-insecure residents countywide. Food preservation will no longer be a lost tradition; it will be a shared, empowering solution for resilience.