man with bags of donated food

COMMUNITY exchange

The Community Exchange recovers and distributes food to small community-based organizations, offering flexible, responsive, and compassionate support that adapts as those needs evolve.

Donate Food
Receive Food

Food Rescue and Distribution

Hollywood Food Coalition’s Community Exchange is a food recovery and distribution program that supports small community-based organizations by providing food tailored to their needs.

Our staff cares deeply about the people we serve, and we design our systems around the realities our partners face every day. We offer flexible scheduling and customized orders - two essentials for organizations working on a smaller scale. We know that serving the community means adapting to constantly evolving needs, and we’ve built the Exchange to remain responsive and supportive as those needs shift.

The Community Exchange diverts perfectly edible food from our landfills, reducing methane emissions and slowing climate change. In doing so, we preserve the resources and labor that went into producing it while feeding our communities.

Flexibility & Tailored Order

Through our experience running the Community Dinner, we understand how challenging it can be to source the right quality and quantity of food - perishable and non-perishable - at the right time. The Exchange was created to address this challenge by providing a reliable, curated food supply tailored to each organization’s needs.

Who We Serve

We prioritize working with groups that provide more than just food distributions or meal services, because we know that food is a bridge to connection.

Because these partners have deep knowledge of their communities’ needs, we rely on their guidance to shape our work. When organizations can welcome people with food, they create entry points for trust, engagement, and stronger relationships.

Together, we expand food access with cultural relevance and intention. By sourcing food through the Exchange, our partners are able to focus their time and resources on the vital services they provide, while still offering food as a powerful tool for building community and nourishing people.

Become a Food Recipient
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icon of truck driving


icon of grocery bags

By ensuring nonprofits have the food they need, we free up their funding to strengthen their programs and deepen their impact.

HoFoCo Los Angeles food recovery chart

How We Work

Every day, our team coordinates thousands of pounds of food donations picked up from across Los Angeles County. We recover food from bakeries, restaurants, catering companies, grocery stores, food chains, and large wholesalers to maintain a steady flow of recovered food to communities in need. We accept most kinds of food, including leftover trays that have been stored at the proper temperature at every step of the cooking, serving, and packing process.

Since many small organizations can’t accept large quantities, the Exchange breaks down pallets from bigger donors into smaller, usable amounts. With the help of staff and volunteers, we pick up, sort, weigh, and safely store food before building customized orders for our community recipients.

Our approach moves food quickly, prevents waste, and ensures donations meet community needs with care and intention.

  • Flexible and delicious

    “Your flexible and delicious support of our 100%-volunteer-run Soup Kitchen has allowed us to expand with ease into a robust Tuesday event, building on our traditional Friday and Saturday events. We have more time to cook on the weekends.

    Having reliably ready-to-serve food from Hollywood Food Coalition to distribute on Tuesdays has been key to our success in expanding services for our unhoused neighbors. Thank you!”

    - Margaret Ecker, St. James Episcopal Church

  • Lifesaving

    “With the great insight and thoughtful donations of HoFoCo each week our ability to provide for the 400 plus people in need who populate our Sunday serving has been greatly enhanced.

    Moreover the street outreach I do 6 days a week has allowed me to build friendships and enough trust to get services to many. The reach of this partnership has been more than help. It has been lifesaving.

    Thank you, Hollywood Food Coalition, for your tremendous support.”

    - Joan Howard, Food on Foot

  • Quality and quantity

    “Game changer for sure, the quality and quantity is just what the members of our community choice pantry need. And as an agency that freeze drys (food), having such a variety and quality is the Game Changer for allowing us to do what we do.

    Thank you, thank you, thank you, and keep up all the hard work, you guys are awesome.”

    - Gaines, Community Space Food Bank

  • No more scrambling for food

    “No Community Exchange support means we’d have to scramble for food elsewhere, draining limited time and money that’s already stretched thin across vital services.”

    - Ascencia

  • the only consistent food

    “The food that you give us is the only consistent food that we are able to give out. The food that we do give out is sometimes the only food that our recipients will receive.

    They especially love the pizza you give us on Fridays.”

    - Driver, The Village Family Services

Interested in Donating Food?

If your business has excess food, donate it to Hollywood Food Coalition’s Community Exchange and help feed our city while complying with SB 1383. Our program ensures your donations reach small community-based efficiently, and we’ll track and share your impact with your team and the broader L.A. community.

More About Donating Food

Interested in receiving Food?

Receive the food your organization needs to support your community through Hollywood Food Coalition’s Community Exchange.

Become a Food Recipient

Feeding People, Not Landfills!

Since its inception, the Community Exchange has transformed excess food into community nourishment - supporting hundreds of local organizations, reducing waste, and building a more sustainable, equitable food ecosystem.*

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12 Million

Pounds and counting of perfectly edible food diverted from landfills.  

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2.65 billion

Gallons of water saved, the equivalent of 4,008 olympic swimming pools

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29,857 metric tons

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CO2e avoided, the equivalent of 75.97 million miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle

9.6 million

Meals served to food-insecure Angelenos.

*Calculated with ReFED’s Impact Calculator - Numbers from April 2020 to October 2025

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Hollywood Food Coalition addresses 10 of 17 United Nations’  Sustainable Development Goals


Some of our valued partners

Our impact is powered by the generosity of our food donors and the dedication of our recipient partners. Here are just a few of them.


Some of our business donors

We couldn’t do our work without the support of all businesses that trust us with our food recovery efforts. If you’re interested in becoming a food donor please contact us at info@hofoco.org.

  • 1 Hotel West Hollywood

    10 Degrees

    314 La Brea LLC

    7-Eleven

  • A-Sha Dry Noodle USA

    AHF

    Alexandria House

    Alfred’s Coffee

    Alibi Coffee

    Alpha Foods

    Amazon

    Anea Protein

    Anping Food Company LLC

    Apartments.com

    Autry Museum

    Avalon Foods

    Baby2Baby

    Bain & Company

    Beezoo Catering

    Bellweather Farm

    Beverly

    Bevmo

    Beyond Burgers

    Big Country Foods

    Big Square

    Blue Bottle Coffee

    Boardroom Catering

    BooHoo Clothing

    Boston Consulting

    Boyz In The Kitchen

    Bread Lounge

    BreadBlok

    Bristol Farms

    Brooklyn Bagels

    Brothers Desserts

    Bub and Grandma’s Bread

    Bulgogi Hut

    Cake Monkey

    California Hospital Medical Center

    California Marketplace

    Candela

    Canters Deli

    Canyon Partners

    Cedars-Sinai (Accelerator Program Dept. )

    ChainFest

    Chameleon Coffee

    Charlie’s Produce

    Cheesecake Factory

    Chef Courtney Storer

    Chef’s to End Hunger

    Chick-fil-a

    Children’s Hospital

    Chipotle

    ChowNow

    Clark St. Bakery

    Clean Eatz Kitchen

    Club Pilates WeHo

    CMG Trade

    Co-Opportunity Market

    Coffee Commissary

    Community Space Food Bank

    Cookbook

    Cool Foods Co.

    Costar

    Crateful

    Creative Arts Agency

    Crossroads Kitchen

  • Daddy’s Chicken Shack

    De La Calle Tepache

    Dean Distributors

    Dear Bella Creamery

    Deez Trucking

    Diamond Bakery

    DLS Events LLC

    Downtown Music

    Dr Virginia Van Osdel DDS

    Duke’s Malibu

    Eastern Quality Foods

    Eat Club

    Eclipse Foods

    Einstein Bros Bagels 

    Elevatesnackbox.com

    ESPN

    Everyday Action

    Everytable 

    Evisions

    Exotix Dispensary

    FactSet

    Fancifull

    Farm2People

    Farmer John’s

    Farmlink

    Fat Sal’s

    Fish House

    Fly By Jing

    Food and Bounty

    Food Fetish Catering

    Food Finders

    Food Forward

    FoodCycle LA

    Free Food Collective

    Freshly

    Friends and Family

    fundamental LA

  • Galleria Market

    Ganbatte Fitness

    Garibaldina Society

    GBC Global

    Genies

    Getty Museum

    Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center

    Go Get Em Tiger

    Go-Puff

    Good Planet Innovation

    Goodr

    Govindas

    Gracefully Fed

    Green Earth Cafe

    Groundwork Coffee Co.

    Gucci Osteria

    Guy Fieri’s Superbowl Tailgate

    Gwen’s

    H&M

    H2Rose

    Hammer Museum

    Handy Market

    Happy Socks

    Harroh’s Chicken

    Haute Chef

    Heart of Compassion

    Heartbeat Los Angeles

    Helados de Centroamerica CORP  

    Henry Mask

    Hint Water

    Hollywood Farmer’s Market

    Hollywood Pantages

    Honey Hi

    Hoy’s Wok

    Huckleberry Cafe

    Huntington Library

    Impossible Foods

    Individual- Michael Grissom

    Insomnia Cookies

    It’s Pho 

    Jerry’s Patio Dining

    Jidori Chicken

    Jitlada

    Jon’s 

    Jonathan Louis Furniture

    JUST

    Just What I Kneaded

    Kaiser Permanente

    Kate Farms

    Kettle Glazed Donuts

    Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP

    Kismet

    Kradjian Imports

    KW Food Enterprise

  • L.E.K Consulting

    L’antica Pizzeria da Michele

    LA Foodshop

    LA Grocery & Cafe

    La Monarca Bakery & Cafe

    La Pan Quotidian

    La Rochelle Bakery and Cafe

    La Tropézienne Bakery

    LA Urban Farms

    LACMA 

    Ladurée 

    Lassens 

    Lawry’s 

    Layla Bagels

    Lazy Acres Market

    Lêberry Bakery & Donut

    LegalZoom

    Levain Bakery 

    Lexington Bakes

    Light Iron

    Little Fish

    Little Llama Peruvian Tacos

    Little Spoon

    Live Nation  

    Lodge Bread Company

    Loew’s Hollywood Hotel

    Lokal Sandwich Shop

    Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation  

    Los Angeles Food Bank

    Los Novillos Market

    LuLu Restaurant  

    Magees Donuts

    Magic Mountain

    Majordomo

    Manuela

    Marissa Faeldan-Suarez

    Market Tavern  

    Martin Bros. Construction

    Marukai Market

    Mary’s Kitchen

    Mas Veggies Vegan Taqueria 

    Matfer Bourgeat

    McCall’s Meat & Fish Co.  

    McDonalds 

    Meat Shredz

    Mendocino Farms

    Mensch Bakery Kitchen

    Metrobi

    Meyers Manx Cafe

    Miceli’s

    Midcity Dessert

    Mike’s Love and Catering

    Milk Bar

    Milk Jar

    Miramax

    Misfit Markets/Imperfect Foods

    Mocean

    Modern Bread and Bagel 

    Mondrian Hotel

    Monty’s Good Burger

    Moon Juice

    Mother’s Market

    Move For Hunger

    Mythical Entertainment

    National Association of Realtors

    Native Foods

    NBC Departmental Food Drive

    NEO Ensemble Theatre Company

    NEP Group

    Netflix

    Nibll

    Nickelodeon

    Noah’s Bagels Larchmont

    Nybll

  • Oaks Homeowners Association

    Ojai Roots

    Omni Foods

    Once Upon A Farm

    Orto Farms

    Outfront Media

    OWN Network

    Pacific Design Center

    Pacifico Aquaculture

    Panda Express 

    Panera

    Pantheon Coffee

    Papa Johns

    Pavillions 

    Peroni

    Petitgrain Boulangerie

    Pink Donut & Coffee

    Pizza Hut

    Premier Meat Company

    Pressed Juicery

    Prime Paper

    Prince Street Pizza

    Professional Produce

    Proof Bakery

    Pura Vita

    Puratos Corporation Quantas

    Radical Roots

    Rainbao Dumplings

    Ralphs 

    Real Rock N’ Roll Movers

    Red Chamber 

    Restaurant Depot

    Ricky’s Fish Tacos

    Rite Aid 

    Robben Wholesale Distribution

    Rock and Wrap It Up

    Rogue Machine Theater Company

    Roji Bakery  

    Rolling Sands

    Rooted Innovations Inc.

  • Safer Plate

    Salt

    Sam’s Bagels 

    San Pellegrino

    Sassafras Saloon

    Savory Gourmet Inc.

    Seafood City Supermarket

    Second Home

    Sephora

    Setton Pistachios

    Shannon Warner Events

    Shopify LA

    Sidecar Doughnuts

    Smart and Final 

    Snak King

    SOHO House

    Sound Night Club

    Soylent

    Sprinkles 

    Sprouts 

    St. Stephens

    Starport Foods

    State Farm Insurance

    Stater Brothers Market

    Stay Macro

    Stoneview Nature Center

    Stupid Good  

    Suá Superette

    Sugar Taco

    Sugarbird Sweets and Teas

    Sultan Beverages

    Sun Noodle

    Sungold Studio

    Sunrise Produce

    Sunset Gower- Monsters

    Super King

    Superior Grocers

    Support + Feed

    Sweet Lilly Bakery Cafe

    Sweetgreen 

    Swingers Diner

    Taix French Restaurant

    Target 

    Tartine 

    Taylor Farms

    That’s It

    The Avenue Hollywood

    The Butcher’s Daughter

    The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills

    The Copper Key 

    The Flamingo Estate

    The Fonda Theatre

    The Magic Castle

    The Mystic Museum

    The Original Farmer’s Market

    The Parlor Sports Bar

    The Sisters Cafe

    The Vita Coco Company

    The Wing

    The Wonderful Co.

    Tinder 

    Titmouse Inc.

    Tomorrow Bagel

    Trader Joe’s

    Trifecta

    Tru Earth

    True Food Kitchen

  • UDV Group

    Uncle Paulie’s Deli

    Universal Studios

    US Foods

    USGA / Par Catering

    UTA

    Valley Food Bank

    Van Leeuwen Ice Cream 

    Vedder Price 

    Vicente Foods

    Vitabowl

    Vons

    Waymo

    Wella

    West Hollywood Farmers Markets

    Western Bagels

    Wexlers Deli

    WhatIF Milk

    Whole Foods 

    Wokcano

    Wolfgang Puck Catering

    World Centric

    Yamashiro

    Yelp LA East

    Yoga Box

    Yoli Vendors LLC

    Zamroy LLC

    Zico