- A lot of people don't have access or the resources to get to, let's say a farmer's market or a Trader Joe's or stuff like that.

(gentle music) So it was a need for us to bring more produce to this community.

- [Lidia] Paul brings thousands of pounds of fresh produce back to SJLI's office in Inglewood.

- Thank you for coming to Inglewood.

- I join Nicole Steele to redistribute today's delivery.

A lot of food is being distributed.

- Yeah.

- And tell me all these cars waiting like this, they're gonna be all filled with your product?

- Yeah.

So this is where all of the bagging happens and I'm gonna introduce you to Tony who heads up this part.

He's our community engagement coordinator.

- Hi, Tony.

- How are you doing?

- Hello!

I'm good!

How are you?

- Okay.

- Welcome.

- And these are all your assistants.

Hi.

- Since March of 2019, we have been doing this every single Friday for our community.

Making sure that they know there is a consistent place where they can come and connect with these types of foods that sometimes are hard to get from your local food bank or other giveaways where shelf stable foods are more readily available.

(gentle music) Every single Friday we're getting 10 to 15,000 pounds of produce and giving it away to our community, to local seniors, and to other agencies who then take it to their church or their mutual aid organization and serve their community.

- So I see all these trucks lined up here.

They come and pick up the different communities.

You advise them?

- Exactly - And they come and pick up.

- [Nicole] They come and pick up.

- [Lidia] But then you also deliver?

- We do.

Throughout the week, we deliver to schools.

We have programs with local clinics where just like with my family, when the doctor says, "Oh you need to eat healthier," then the doctor can say, "And every Wednesday you can come right back here to the clinic to pick up fresh produce."

We do giveaways at local LA County parks.

We do giveaways at high schools.

We do fun community days.

Any place where we can get to people to give them this food, we're gonna be there.

These are heavy so I wanna put them on the bottom.

- What I really related to was the sharing part.

You know, I grew up like that.

A little small town where my grandmother was.

I think there was 20 houses and you thought nothing.

You know, go down to Josefina and ask if she has a head of garlic or if she has a piece of bread or if she has some salt.

It was common and you know, it wasn't measured, "Oh, she's gonna return it to me."

It was kind of, sort of an exchange.

Together, the whole community survived.

- We envision a world where the people in our community can use their agency to change circumstances for themselves and those around them.

And that's what we're seeing.

- Think about 35% of the food that is produced in America goes to waste.

- That's right.

- And yet there are neighborhoods, there are communities that absolutely have no access to this kind of fresh service.

- Exactly.

About 40% of the food grown by agricultural businesses is thrown away for really silly reasons.

The apples weren't quite red enough.

They wanna control the prices so inventory needs to go out.

We are able to give away that food before it goes bad, before it gets spoiled.

(gentle music) - As we work, I can't help but think about what I would make with these ingredients.

There was zucchini, there was cabbage, there was mushrooms.

I immediately thought of one of my simple recipes.

If we can connect some of the ingredients that you have and I can come up with the recipes, would you share them in these bags?

- Absolutely, yeah.

- You think that's a good idea?

- I think that's a great idea.

I know our community would love that.

- I had my office send it to me.

I modified it to exactly the products that they had and we did it in English and in Spanish.

Look at the line up!

At one o'clock, the distribution center becomes a free produce market for all.

This is one of my recipes.

- Oh, it sounds good!

- Oh it is good.

- Alright, well thank you.

- [Lidia] Alright.

This cycle of food not being thrown away in the garbage, but ending in somebody's home as food on the table was so rewarding to see.

- You the lady from the cooking club on the show!

- You watch me?

You watch me?

And I was recognized by some of them.

It was was fun.

Thank you for watching.

- Thank you.

Here's a receta and enjoy.

Keep on cooking.

- Yes, yes.

- Thank you.

- Okay.

- [Lidia] Bye-Bye.