The Hollywood Food Coalition is doing its part to keep edible food out of landfills by putting in the hands of those who need it most. In honor of Earth Day, between April 18th and April 22nd, HoFoCo is asking for your support to divert even more edible food from landfills and make it available to more communities. Â Click here to learn more about the fundraiser.
HoFoCo, started in 1987 serving simple meals out of the Plummer meal service agency, and our Community Dinner now serves more than 80,000 meals annually to 200+ guests each night. HoFoCo has shared 500,000 pounds of food with this program, which serves a six-course meal every night of the week in Hollywood.
In May 2020, HoFoCo started the Community Exchange, a concierge food service that provides small to medium-sized non-profits with the food they need, when they need it. The service is revamping the current food bank model to help nonprofits build meal programs. HoFoCo sets up a personalized plan for each organization, by learning about its programs and the communities it serves.
HoFoCo’s innovative program advances climate justice, social justice, and food justice. By diverting edible food from landfills, thereby reducing the harmful methane gasses emitted by organic food waste decomposing in landfills, the Community Exchange program is able to share more than 1,250,000 pounds of rescued food each year with small to medium size non-profit organizations, improving access to high-quality food for populations all across Los Angeles.
HoFoCo estimates it has rescued more than 2.5 million pounds of food (averaging 35,000 lbs. per week), and served more than 125 non-profit partners. The Community Exchange rescues an average of 35,000 lbs. of food every week, redistributing it to 125 organizations feeding communities across LA County and beyond, including recovery homes, community fridges, permanent supportive housing, drop-in centers, shelters and transitional housing, community colleges, clinics, senior living facilities, and more.
Recipient organizations served by HoFoCo include Alexandria House, My Friend’s Place, Village Family Services, Esperanza Health and Wellness Center, Ascencia, Downtown Women’s Center, Jovenes, The Way In Youth Center, L.A. Harbor College, Housing Works, Black Women Lead, Accion Communitaria, Feed My Poor, Native Kids 2020, PodShare for Social Good, Food on Foot, The People’s Coalition.
More than 200 business donors have contributed, from restaurants and local businesses to corporations and wholesalers. Some of the businesses and food recovery organizations who have partnered with HoFoCo include Sprinkles, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, La Brea Bakery, Sweetgreen, Tartine Bakery, Roji Bakery, Lawry’s, Coffee Commissary, Cake Monkey, Hollywood Farmers Market, Sam’s Bagels, Chick-fil-a, Hang Out Do Good, Shannon Warner Events , ABC, The Walt Disney Company, Paramount, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Mythical Entertainment, Television City, Charlie’s Produce, Food Forward.
