Show 318, April 6, 2019: Patti Larson, Executive Director, Food Finders

Food Finders Long BeachThis month Long Beach-based Food Finders is celebrating 30 years of rescuing food and eliminating food insecurity in Southern California.

With thirteen employees and 300 volunteers, Food Finders rescues perfectly edible, unserved food from restaurants, caterers, grocery stores, bakeries, produce markets and other food vendors and delivers it within hours to nearby agencies such as shelters, senior centers, Boys & Girls Clubs, etc., that service the food insecure throughout Southern California. This rescue effort also reduces the amount of CO2 gasses leaked into the atmosphere by keeping discarded food out of the landfills.

A personal effort and passion that began at founder Arlene Mercer’s Seal Beach kitchen table 30 years ago, Food Finders has grown into an organization that has rescued 150 million pounds of food, equating to 125 million meals, since April, 1989.

“We’re proud of our efforts to reduce hunger and food waste over the last 30 years,” said Patti Larson, who succeeded Mercer as executive director of Food Finders in 2011 when Mercer retired. “But we still have a ways to go, considering 1 in 8 in Californians remain food insecure and yet the average family of four throws out $1,500 worth of perfectly good food each year.”

Food Finders 30th Anniversary fundraising goal is to raise $30,000 in financial donations during the month of April. For more information and how to donate, visit their website.

Executive Director Patti Larson is our guest to better explain the need.

Show 313, March 2, 2019: Co-Host Chef Andrew Gruel, Slapfish Restaurant Group with “Ask the Chef”

Andrew Gruel at the AM830 KLAA StudiosOur own Co-Host, Chef Andrew Gruel of the Slapfish Restaurant Group, is again hosting a sumptuous table at the 6th Annual OC Chef’s Table (as a total donation) benefiting the Illumination Foundation. Its theme is “Take a Seat to End Homelessnes.” It takes place at The Disneyland Hotel.

Impressively the high-end Benefit is already sold out and tickets are now on sale for 2020. Chef Andrew will detail why he’s a multi-year, enthusiastic supporter of the good work of the Illumination Foundation.

“Today in Orange County alone, there are more than 32,000 children that are homeless or unstably housed in cars and motels. An excess of 55,000 homeless individuals reside in Southern California alone.”

“The non-profit organization, Illumination Foundation, was founded in 2007 with the sole mission to break the cycle of homelessness. From its start, Illumination Foundation has focused on providing permanent housing solutions, along with emergency housing for families in dire need, recuperative care centers for homeless individuals recovering from hospital care, and a cadre of mental and physical health services, career counseling and placement, children’s resource centers for tutoring and healthy socialization and more.”

Show 291, September 22, 2018: Robert Egger, L.A. Kitchen, Founder & CEO

Robert EggarL.A. Kitchen, a pioneering non-profit, is again rallying Angelenos to take a stand and participate in a city-wide party (October 5 to 7) to raise awareness and fight food waste, hunger and unemployment. Shared Plates is L.A Kitchen’s anti-gala, a weekend of dinner parties for good that invites thousands of Angelenos to sit around the table in their backyards, restaurants, businesses and schools across Los Angeles.

100% of the ticket sales help in feeding LA’s homeless and senior population, offering culinary job training to the formerly incarcerated or formerly homeless and towards diverting thousands of pounds of food that would have otherwise gone to waste.

Look for L.A. Kitchen branded packaged fresh food products at the food outlets at LAX. Sandwiches and salads…

Robert Egger, L.A. Kitchen Founder & CEO sets the table for us.