An Innovative Way to Fight Hunger
On a sunny morning at a bustling Los Angeles farmers market, a volunteer gently guides a blind shopper from stall to stall, describing the bright oranges and leafy greens on display. Laughter punctuates their unhurried stroll. This outing is part of Hunger Action LA’s innovative Blind & Low Vision Food Program, which partners visually impaired Angelenos with sighted friends for what Executive Director Frank Tamborello calls a “nice fun day at the farmers market.” It is about more than just buying groceries; it is about companionship. The volunteer and shopper chat like old friends, proving that nourishment is more than what fits in a bag.
Since 2006, Hunger Action LA (HALA) has pursued its mission “to end hunger and promote healthy eating in Los Angeles County” through unorthodox means. Rather than a traditional food pantry, HALA runs several ground-breaking programs designed to tackle hunger from different angles. Tamborello proudly describes these efforts as truly “thinking out of the box.” Each program does more than feed people; it builds community in surprising ways.
Their flagship initiative is their Market Match program, a partnership with 40 farmers markets across L.A. There, low-income shoppers who receive CalFresh benefits (food stamps) get an extra $15 to spend every time they visit a market, adding up to as much as $75 in healthy fruits and vegetables per month. Those extra dollars mean a mother can afford ripe strawberries for her kids, or a senior can bring home vine-ripe tomatoes. And it is a boon for local farmers, as well. The bonus vouchers, Tamborello explains, “circulate from the customers through the farmers,” boosting the local economy while making healthier diets attainable. In other words, Market Match fights hunger while “supporting the farmers” who grow our food.
Another core program is HALA’s weekly Food Delivery service, which brings fresh groceries to 300 households spread across a wide swath of Los Angeles. Each week, volunteers put together bags of produce, eggs, and pantry staples for vulnerable families. In order to reach as many families across as wide an area of Los Angeles as possible, HALA uses an ingenious delivery network made up of volunteers, the DoorDash delivery service, and other local delivery services. HALA also works with local farmers and growers in order to include fresh eggs and other staples in the food bags because, as Tamborello explains, “We believe that you also want to feed the people who are
feeding the people.”
By building personal relationships through food, HALA’s programs aim to bring people “a sort of a spiritual nourishment as well as physical.” In Los Angeles, a city of millions, HALA is knitting a community closer, one egg, one conversation, one farmers market trip at a time.
Hunger Action LA
Donate now!www.hungeractionla.org
(213) 361-2075
Executive Director: Frank Tamborello
Mission
To end hunger and promote healthy eating in LA County using public policy advocacy, education and appropriate direct service.
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Your Gift Builds Food Security
Hunger Action LA’s innovative, out-of-the-box programs run on community support, and your donation can make a tangible impact.
• $25,000 – Supports the Blind & Low Vision Food Program for an entire year, giving dozens of visually impaired people monthly farmers market outings with caring companions.
• $50,000 – Funds a full year of Market Match, helping hundreds of low-income families afford fresh produce while bolstering local farmers at 40 markets.
• $135,000 – Sustains weekly food deliveries, including prepared meals, for 300 homebound households across Los Angeles.