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About
The Food Oasis project mission is to provide accurate, up-to-date information about free food distribution sites nearby people who are experiencing food insecurity.
It was started in 2016 by Hack for LA, the Los Angeles brigade of Code for America, and lists over 500 food pantries and meal programs in Los Angeles County that are open to the public at the website https://la.foodoasis.net. In 2020/2021, we expanded to additional sites covering other geographic areas including:
- Hawaii https://hi.foodoasis.net
- California (outside LA County) https://ca.foodoasis.net
- Oregon https://or.foodoasis.net
- McKinney, TX https://mckinney.foodoasis.net
These sites are currently in the process of gathering and verifying their local food distribution organizations. For large areas like Los Angeles County, particularly since the onset of COVID-19, the most difficult part of this project is to gather, verify and update listings, since many organizations have shut down or restricted their operations, others have been able to expand their operations, and there are many more people experiencing food insecurity as a result of the pandemic.
In Los Angeles County, Hack for LA has partnered with LAWorks to recruit and train volunteers that help us verify listings by making phone calls, sending emails and using social media to contact each pantry or meal program. Each site is responsible for determining how to validate their listings and managing volunteers, if necessary, to keep their listings up-to-date.