Food Donations
In the United States 40% of food produced goes uneaten- that is 62.5 million tons of wasted food every year. In California, 5.5 million tons of food is wasted every year and 25% of landfill material is food waste. In 2015 there were 42.2 million people, including 13.1 million children (over 134,000 children in Riverside County alone) who were "food insecure", meaning they did not have enough food to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. While reducing hunger in Riverside County will require addressing the root causes of poverty, donations of wholesome, fresh food can be an important strategy for addressing the immediate needs of thousands of Riverside County residents.