Our Work
MEANS Database has users in all 50 states, and our staff helps place donations wherever they pop up. However, in some areas we have a more robust network. Learn more about our food donation hubs below.
Our Hubs
California
In California, we have recovered over 500,000 pounds of food throughout the state. Our work recently in California has primarily focused in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. We have worked with large corporate donors to meet the needs of all individuals from people impacted by wildfires to the unhoused. As part of our COVID-19 response, our Community Meal Program has served over 195,000 meals to food-insecure families in the state. Read more about our work in the Bay Area here!
Chicago, IL
MEANS has facilitated the donation of over 92,000 meals in the city of Chicago since June 2020. Our Community Meal Program pays local restaurants to make meals and deliver them to local nonprofits that are serving those who are food insecure.
Durham, NC
MEANS has moved over 2,535 pounds of food from a corporate office in Durham.
Denver, CO
In Denver, we have partnered with six restaurants and nine nonprofit partners through our Community Meal Program to distribute 42,271 meals to the community.
El Paso, TX
During the COVID-19 pandemic, MEANS Database teamed up with organizations such as Dame la Mano and Abundant Living Faith Center through our Community Meal Program to serve 4,600 meals and we have also recovered 4,000 pounds of food in El Paso.
Florida
MEANS began working in Florida at the beginning of 2021. Through our partnership with amazing organizations such as UF/IFAS Extension Family Nutrition Program, Florida Impact to End Hunger, and St. Matthew’s House. So far, over 65,000 pounds of produce have been moved throughout the state thanks to the amazing cooperation of our partner organizations. We look forward to expanding our network in Florida and see more food moving!
Las Vegas, NV
In Las Vegas, we have partnered with five restaurants and seven nonprofit partners through our Community Meal Program to distribute 43,195 meals to the community.
Philadelphia, PA
Since 2016, MEANS has partnered with the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department to recover extra meals from their Summer Food Service Program. Thanks to our transportation partner, Food Connect, we have recovered 4,986 pounds of lunches, snacks, and cartons of milk this summer from 10 summer camp sites. We also distributed more than 97,153 meals through the Community Meal Program.
Rhode Island
We’ve recovered 46,966 pounds of food throughout the state of Rhode Island since 2017 with dozens of food business and nonprofit partners. In the past year, we have also distributed more than 60,000 meals through our Community Meal Program. The RI Department of Health has been a great partner through their Rhode to End Hunger Initiative and Rescuing Leftover Cuisine has been collaborating on essential transportation support for food donations across the state. Check out this video of our work in action in RI!
Seattle, WA
One of our most memorable moments was when we rerouted a donation of squab from a fine dining restaurant and it turned into a take on pork and beans to feed the homeless in downtown Seattle! We have over 30 users in the city, and we’re excited to have more join us.
Southwest United States
As COVID-19 continued to spread throughout the world in the Spring of 2020, there were few places hit as hard as Native populations in the Southwest United States. One study found that in 23 states, Indigenous people were 3.5 times more likely to contract COVID-19 and more likely than any other race to be hospitalized. We were connected to many grassroots organizations in the region through SEWA International and we began reaching out to our network to assist the communities as they battled COVID-19. Throughout 2020, MEANS Database collected over $140,000 worth of products ranging from food, clothing, personal hygiene items, firewood, and other essential supplies to support the communities impacted by COVID-19.
If you are interested in learning more about the incredible work that these organizations are doing, please check out their websites:
White Mountain Emergency Response Center
