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Edible Food Donation and Recovery
Food recovery means collecting edible food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributing it to feed people in need. Feeding hungry people through food recovery is the best use for surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and a vital way for California to conserve resources and reduce waste thrown in landfills. Californians send 11.2 billion pounds of food to landfills each year, some of which was still fresh enough to have been recovered to feed people in need. While billions of meals go to waste, millions of Californians don’t have enough to eat.
To reduce food waste and help address food insecurity, SB 1383 requires that by 2025 California will recover 20 percent of edible food that would otherwise be sent to landfills, to feed people in need. The law directs the following:
- Jurisdictions must establish food recovery programs and strengthen their existing food recovery networks
- Food donors must arrange to recover the maximum amount of their edible food that would otherwise go to landfills
- Food recovery organizations and services that participate in SB 1383 must maintain records
Humboldt County Food Pantries and Food Recovery Organizations
Food for People works throughout Humboldt County to eliminate hunger and improve the health and well-being of our community through access to healthy and nutritious foods, community education and advocacy. Their website in Spanish can be found here. The following organizations also provide supplemental groceries to households as well as accept donations of edible food:
Name | Address | City | Phone Number | Amount of food recovered per month (lbs.) |
Hoopa Valley Tribe, Food Distribution Center | 12479 state Hwy 96 Hoopa 95546 | Hoopa | (530) 625-4646 | 15K dry goods and 1K of frozen monthly. |
Food For People (Arcata pantry) Trinity Baptist Church | 2450 Alliance Rd | Arcata | 707-445-3166 | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Food For People (Arcata Seniors Pantry) | 321 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Arcata, CA 95521 | Arcata | 707-825-2027 | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Food For People (Garberville pantry) Community Presbyterian Church | 437 Maple Lane | Garberville | 707-223-2430 | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Food For People (Scotia Pantry) | 143 Main St. | Scotia | 707-764-5239 | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Food For People Loleta Community Church | 228 Church St. | Loleta | 707-733-5239 (Resource Center) 707-733-5751 (Church) | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Abundant Earth Foundation | 702 Hiller Rd | Mckinleyville | 808-226-7003 | N/A |
Arcata (Arcata House Partnership Pantry) ** | 501 Ninth St | Arcata | 707-633-6236 | N/A |
Arcata Family Resource Center ** | 2400 Baldwin St | Arcata | 707-822-4858 | N/A |
Food for People (Willow Creek Pantry) | Willow Creek Community Resource Center 38883 Hwy 299 | Willow Creek | (530) 629-3141 | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Humboldt State University "Oh Snap!" ** | Recreation and Wellness Center Room 122 HSU Campus 1 Harpst St | Arcata | (707) 826-4565 | N/A |
Bridgeville Community Center ** | 38717 Kneeland Road | Bridgeville | 707-777-1775 | N/A |
St Joseph Health Loleta Community Resource Center | 700 Loleta Drive | Loleta | 707-733-5239 | 1000 - 5000 |
Blue Lake Community Resource Center | 111 Greenwood Ave | Blue Lake | 707-668-4281 | 5,000-8,000lbs per year. |
Carlotta Healthy Start Community Center | 300 Wilder Road | Carlotta | 707-768-3860 | Unknown |
Eureka Choice Pantry | 2112 Broadway | Eureka | (707) 407-0447 | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Eureka Rescue Mission-Men’s Program (Meal) | 110 2nd St | Eureka | 707-443-4551 | 10,0000-25,0000 |
Food for People Dinsmore | Route 36 mile marker 42.5 | Dinsmore | (707) 777-1775 | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Food for People Orick Elementary School | 120918 Hwy 101 | Orick | (707) 488-2803 | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Salvation Army | 2123 Tydd St. | Eureka | 707-442-6475 | 200-300 lbs per month |
Southern Humboldt Family Resource Center | 344 Humboldt Ave. | Redway | 707-923-1147 | Unknown. 4 pallets of food per month. 120 bags of food a week. Serve 75-80 school age families, 30-40 homebound seniors pair up with Meals on Wheels. |
Yurok Food Distribution | 190 Nelson Lane | Crescent City | (707) 464-1852 | 22000 lbs per month |
St. Vincent De Paul Society's Free Dining Facility ** | 35 3rd Street | Eureka | 707-445-9588 | N/A |
College of the Redwoods Food Pantry ** |
| Eureka | (707) 476-4616 | N/A |
Eureka Rescue Mission-Women & Children’s Program (Meal) | 107 3rd St | Eureka | 707-443-5016 | 10,0000-25,0000 |
Betty Kwan Chinn Day Center | 1333 7th St | Eureka | 707-407-3833 | Unknown, mainly receive donations from Starbucks. Feed around 500 people per week from their kitchen. |
Food for People (Senior Brown Bag) | 307 W. 14th St | Eureka | 707-445-3166 x 303 | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Food For People Humboldt Senior Resource Center | 1910 California St | Eureka | Not available | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Humboldt Senior Resource Center/ Dining Center | 1910 California St. | Eureka | 707-443-9747 | Unknown. During COVID they received nothing, no gleaned donations from Safeway, the fish and the hog they may estimated 300 lbs one month and then not get it again for 3 months. |
Beginnings Incorporated | 5 Cemetery Rd | Redway | (707) 923-3617 | N/A |
Fortuna Adventist Community Services - SDA Church | 2331 Rohnerville Rd | Fortuna | 707-725-1166 | 600 to 700 per week. |
Cooperation Humboldt | 840 E Street #16 | Eureka | (707) 599-2951 | Unknown, do not track currently due to small scale operation. |
Church of the Joyful Healer (Mckinleyville Family Resource Center) ** | 1944 Central Ave (new location) | Mckinleyville | (707) 840-0905 | N/A |
Mattole Valley Resource Center ** | P.O. Box 191 | Mckinleyville | 707-629-3348 | N/A |
The Journey Church, Rio Dell Assembly of God ** | 95 Belleview Ave. | Rio Dell | 707-764-5460 | N/A |
Food For People Ferndale Community Church | 712 Main St. | Orick | 707-786-4475 | on average 3670 per month. This could range by month with some being as much as 10,000 pounds per month |
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church | 425 Shaw Ave. | Ferndale | 707-786-9619 | Less than 1000 lbs |
Food for People Trinidad (Lion's Club Pantry/Town Hall) ** | 409 Trinity St/Town Hall | Trinidad | (707) 677-0223 | N/A |
Food For People St. Joseph's Pantry Shelf | 2292 Newburg Road | Fortuna | 707-725-1148 | 40K-50K per month |
Humboldt Senior Resource Center/ Dining Center (Fortuna) | Gene Lucas Community Center 3000 Newburg Rd | Fortuna | 707-725-6245 | Unknown. During COVID they received nothing, no gleaned donations from Safeway, the fish and the hog they may estimated 300 lbs one month and then not get it again for 3 months. |