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. Food for People's website has more information in English, Spanish and Hmong. 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

Cal Poly Humboldt  "Oh Snap!" **

Recreation and Wellness Center on Cal Poly Humboldt Campus,  1 Harpst St.Room 122

Arcata

707-826-4565

N/A

Bridgeville Community Center **

38717 Kneeland Rd.

Bridgeville

707-777-1775

N/A

St Joseph Health Loleta Community Resource Center  

700 Loleta Dr.

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 Rd.

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 Second St.

Eureka

707-443-4551

10,0000-25,0000

Food for People Dinsmore

Route 36, Mile Marker 42.5

Dinsmore

707-77-1775

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 Third St.

Eureka

707-445-9588

N/A

College of the Redwoods Food Pantry **

 7351 Tompkins Hill Rd,

Eureka

707 - 476-4616

N/A

Eureka Rescue Mission-Women & Children’s Program (Meal)

107 Third St.

Eureka

707-443-5016

10,0000-25,0000

Betty Kwan Chinn Day Center

1333 Seventh 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 St.#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) **

Trinidad Town Hall, 409 Trinity St.

Trinidad

707-677-0223

N/A

Food For People St. Joseph's Pantry Shelf 

2292 Newburg Rd.

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.