The Foodbank of Southern California
Phone: (562) 435-3577
The Mission of the Foodbank is to provide healthy, nutritious food to the community’s hungry residents and to ensure that no individual goes hungry, not even for a single day.
As long as there are hungry children, families and seniors in our community, The Foodbank of Southern California intends to be to major force in the fight against hunger.
Culturally Responsive
To advance culturally responsive practices in our wonderfully diverse county, including
- Incorporating diverse food preferences through targeted sourcing.
- Providing every client with foods that are familiar, nutritious and comforting.
- Integrating culturally responsive mobile food pantries deep into neighborhoods with diverse populations.
- Working closely with grassroots cultural community organizations to better serve specific cultural groups.
- Providing translated written materials and bilingual assistance
- Continually collecting feedback from food recipients and partner organizations
Staff and Board Diversity
The Foodbank of Southern California has the most diverse board and staff of any foodbank in the nation. Currently 100% of our Board and 87% of staff are people of color.
We place an emphasis on developing the skills of our current diverse workforce so that we are better able to impact food inequity issues. Our current CEO, Jeanne Cooper, MPA, started with the Foodbank 14 years ago. She was promoted from within the ranks of the organization, earned her Master’s of Public Administration and is now one of the highest ranking women of color in the foodbank industry. Jeanne has infused the foodbank with bold, new ideas for the role of the Foodbank in our community and for moving forward in a changing world.
Supporting Local Food Production
The Foodbank is committed to helping to strengthen the local food supply chain by increasing purchases to local farmers and producers, especially in light of supply chain disruptions, effects of climate change, and environmental impact of transporting food.
These food purchases give residents access to locally and regionally sourced food, help provide economic stability for farmers, urban farms, producers, and families, and improve health outcomes through better nutrition and increased food security.
Supporting the Evolving Local Food Network
Over the last decade, there has been a proliferation of community gardens, urban farms, food rescue programs, farmer’s markets, and artisanal food production in our region, all of which plays a part in the local food system. The Foodbank is committed to supporting these local efforts by prioritizing local procurement and providing infrastructure support, such as refrigeration, storage, transportation, and meeting space.