Food Donation and Food Insecurity
In 2016, 41 million people struggled with hunger in the United States, including 13 million children. In 2015, 5.4 million seniors struggled to afford enough to eat. A household that is "food insecure" lacks access to affordable and nutritious food to support a healthy life.
Approximately 1 out of every 6 people in California are food insecure, meaning these individuals or families struggle to find their next meal. Many restaurants and markets discard food that was not sold into their garbage can, which eventually ends up in the landfills. Some of this food is still wholesome for consumption.
People are encouraged to start donating their unwanted or minimally expired food goods to designated food donation centers to help the hungry here in our county.
To learn more about donating food, please review the information provided on this page. If you have further questions, please call Environmental Health Services at (415) 473-6907.