Multiple boxes of mixed fruit packages being packed or sorted by workers in a warehouse or grocery store, with one worker in gloves handling the boxes, and others in the background.

Become a Community Exchange Recipient

Our goal is to supply social service nonprofits and small community organizations with food they need, when they want it, so they can focus on their missions.

By providing donated food, we free up funds for organizations to strengthen their programs and operations. Our recipients are able to reduce their food budgets while strengthening their impact.

Note: the Community Exchange works with organizations only. We do not distribute food to individuals. For a free meal, please join us at our Community Dinner instead!

Person sorting packages of food in a warehouse or distribution center, with shelves and other workers in the background.

The Exchange is Built for Recipients

As a kitchen that cooks every meal with donated food, we know the challenge of not knowing what ingredients will show up each day. Donations arrive unpredictably, in varying quantities and quality - it’s tough to plan around that. That’s why we’re committed to making sure our recipients receive consistent, good, and usable food.

The Exchange goes to great lengths to learn about your organization, your programs, and the populations you serve. We’ll learn what your capacity constraints are and the types of food your community loves. We’ll do our best to accommodate all of it, collecting feedback as we work together to expand food access across Los Angeles.

Please fill out our initial inquiry form, and we’ll contact you with further information.

Together, we’ll build a sustainable, community-centered and responsive food rescue and redistribution ecosystem.

Multiple cardboard boxes filled with fresh vegetables including cherry tomatoes, leafy greens, and grapes, with some produce in plastic packaging.

Partner with the Exchange

We’re working hard to bring as many recipients offering varying services as we can serve into our program. We will continue to grow our partnerships as we increase our food donations.

how it works

After you reach out, we’ll send you an intake form and set up a time to meet. When new recipients join, we take the time to get to know their organization through this simple onboarding process. We’ll get a thorough understanding of your services, the populations you serve, your capacity constraints, and your food service goals. We’ll use this information to best match your organization with food donations tailored to your needs, on a schedule that works for everyone. Once you’re in our program, we’ll continually gather feedback that we will use to regularly improve how we support you. Food is personal, and we want it to feel that way for our recipients.

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
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
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
A great help

“You are great! This is a major help, with the food that you provide to us, it’s a major… major help. I am so glad to be able to help in these times of need.
Friends Community Center is able to provide meals everyday to our homeless clients and in house clients too. This is a great help, thank you so much for this great help.”
– Brian M. Friends Community Center

interested in receiving food?

If you’d like to join, please fill out our initial inquiry form here. If you’d like to speak to one of our team members, feel free to email theexchange@hofoco.org or call (323) 347-7907. We’d love to hear from you!