FOOD FOR PEOPLE INC

Food for People is the primary food collection and distribution hub serving low-income households throughout Humboldt County, California. Each year we distribute nearly 2 million pounds of food, to 10% of the county’s population, which is spread across 4,000 square miles in our rural area.
We envision a community where everyone has access to good quality, nutritious food, understands the consequences of hunger and poor nutrition and is committed to creating a stronger, healthier and more resilient Humboldt County.

Food for People is working to eliminate hunger and improve the health and well-being of our community. We fight hunger by: providing food to more than 100 countywide partners and pantry sites; operating programs that provide nutrition assistance to Children, Seniors, and Homebound Individuals; operating programs to address the root causes of hunger and poor nutrition including Work Training, SNAP/CalFresh Outreach, Nutrition Education, and Advocacy; efforts to increase access to fresh & local foods through Free Produce Markets and countywide Mobile Produce Pantry distributions; programs to reduce waste including Gleaning, Food Drives, and Local Store Food Recovery Program; and an Emergency Food & Disaster Program that makes food available to those affected by a disaster.

Food for People has been working to eliminate local hunger for more than 40 years, and the breadth of our programs has grown over the years in response to local needs. Like most nonprofits, our approach to ensuring the sustainability and success of our programs is wide-ranging and varied. We utilize a variety of funding sources including foundations, government contracts, grants, events, and donations from the general public. This combined support has allowed Food for People to grow our programs to meet he need in our county while maintaining financial stability. We utilize a variety of proven data collection methods that help us track and analyze client services for continuous improvement, monitor all financial transactions, and manage our inventory so that we are fully accountable to the local, state and federal entities that monitor our organization annually.

When we first opened our doors in 1979, Food for People was no more than a small food closet intent upon filling the void for emergency food assistance in Humboldt County. Food distribution grew steadily from those humble beginnings, and Food for People has evolved into a food hub which provides food for 17 food pantries located throughout the County in addition to our direct service programs. Today we operate a total of 18 community food programs, each of which is designed to address the needs of those who are experiencing hunger and food insecurity in a rural county.
While areas of the economy are improving, in Humboldt many continue to face economic challenges, and an increasing number of people find themselves in need of services as the area faces the challenges of shifting trade sectors and high housing costs. The need for food assistance has not lessened; in particular populations, such as seniors and children, we are seeing a marked increase in requests for food assistance. Food for People must continue to look for creative and effective ways to expand access to healthy, nutritious foods and connect people to the services that will help them move towards financial sustainability and food security. Our future plans include identifying additional space for food storage and directly addressing strategies to fight hunger and its root causes.