When wildfires ripped through Los Angeles neighborhoods last January, Food Forward’s phone lines lit up. Growers across Southern California were already calling, asking how they could help. Within hours, farmers who had been partners for years redirected truckloads of citrus and leafy greens. Packers and shippers adjusted logistics. Volunteers arrived before dawn to sort and pack. Community partners like the YMCA opened their doors wider, creating new distribution points in evacuation zones and shelters where families showed up with nothing but what they could carry.
This wasn’t emergency relief that disappeared in December. It’s a long-term investment in community resilience, sustained through a network of over 250 hunger relief partners and the agricultural collaborators who make recovery possible every single day.
Over its history, Food Forward has recovered more than 550 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, approximately 660 million servings redistributed across Southern California. The organization now provides enough produce annually to supply more than 300,000 people each day with recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.
This work also addresses the climate crisis directly. By keeping surplus produce out of landfills, Food Forward has prevented an estimated 489,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. In a region where wildfires, heatwaves and drought are part of daily life, this model demonstrates that caring for people and protecting the planet go hand in hand.
Food Forward has built something rare: a resilient, collaborative ecosystem where farmers, volunteers, community organizations, and families work together toward a shared belief that fresh food is a right, not a privilege.