Since our beginnings in 2017, Food Responders has partnered with local Bay Area governments and non-profit agencies to support the food needs of our neighbors in response to emergencies. From short-term congregate feeding projects to ongoing food delivery programs, the Food Responders team is proud to have supported the distribution of millions of meals and hundreds of thousands of grocery parcels into the hands of community members impacted by wildfires, floods, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year marked the conclusion of our longest ongoing food assistance program, through which we were honored to provide hearty meals and grocery boxes packed with healthy, local produce to some of the highest-risk residents of San Jose every week for two years. On top of the many mouths that were fed, this program directed over $10 million in funding to small business owners and local BIPOC farms in Santa Clara valley, thanks to our incredible partnerships with Veggielution and a network of local San Jose restaurants.
It was also our privilege to operate in several San Francisco communities this year serving meals to new populations in need. These operations were the first of many feeding programs we’ve participated in since 2017 which were managed entirely through our Food Responders tool. From distributing hot meals to residents of Treasure Island to serving three meals a day to residents of a city-based congregate living facility, we served over 16,000 meals in partnership with 23 different local San Francisco restaurants.
None of this impact would have been possible without the tools we’ve built to make data collection, compliance, and reporting possible for feeding incidents of any size. An enormous highlight for our team this year was piloting the
Food Responders platform to successfully facilitate the distribution of meals in our community feeding programs. Using our tool, we successfully programmed, distributed, and paid small food businesses as we partnered to serve thousands of meals in the community over the course of three months. Most importantly (if you know anything about emergency feeding contracts), our tool enabled our team to track and report transparently on every meal served, which allowed us to seamlessly provide critical data to our partners.
In 2023, we’re excited to expand the reach of our tools and response network to achieve our vision of creating communities that are more resilient in the face of emergencies. If you are a food business, an organizer in your community, or a leader within your local government, we want to empower you to do just that. Stay tuned for our official launch in the new year.
Are you a community leader, food business, or state/county organization?
Learn more about how you can join Food Responders.
About Food Responders
Food Responders was created with the simple idea that unlocking local food businesses to support their communities during times of disaster can make both local businesses and local communities more resilient.
Through our Food Responders platform, we empower local response by putting the tools to act in your hands - whether you're a small business owner, a community leader, or an emergency manager.
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