November 28, 2021 – On this Giving Tuesday we’d like to recognize some of the hard-working nonprofits around the Monterey Bay dedicated to food security, food justice, farming and food education.
We know that Edible Monterey Bay readers care deeply about these issues, so when you are looking to donate to a worthy cause please consider these organizations. They are filled with devoted individuals, who feed the hungry, make sure disadvantaged communities have access to fresh produce, show people how to grow healthy organic food and teach children to value where their food comes from.
EMB has reported on all of these nonprofits over the years—some many times—we help promote their fundraising events and donate as much as we can. We love them all and because we can’t pick just ten, here are eleven great causes to choose from when you make your donations on Giving Tuesday and all year round.
1. ALBA – The Agricultural Land-Based Training Association in Salinas teaches students—many of them low-income field workers—how to grow vegetables organically and start their own farms. Read more in our story A Farm of Their Own…
2. Community Food Bank of San Benito County – provides fresh and shelf stable groceries to more than 6,000 community members every month. Read more in our story Reimagining San Benito County…
3. EcoFarm – nurtures just and ecologically sustainable farms and food systems through education, alliance building, celebration and advocacy, including its annual EcoFarm Conference in Pacific Grove every January. Read more in our story EcoFarm 2021 Reimagines and Inspires…
4. Everyone’s Harvest – operates farmers’ markets in Marina, Pacific Grove and Salinas, ensuring that low-income residents have easy access to healthy produce through its Market Match program. Read more in our story Doctors Orders…
5. Food Bank for Monterey County – operates over 240 direct distribution sites and stock the emergency pantries and meal programs that feed approximately 15,000 people each week. Read more in our story Food Bank Hits High Gear for the Holidays…
6. Food What?! – is a youth empowerment and food justice organization, where participants engage in relationships with land, food and each other in ways that are grounded in love and rooted in justice. Read more in our story Fall Harvest Festival…
7. Homeless Garden Project – provides job training, transitional employment and support services to individuals in Santa Cruz who are experiencing homelessness. Read more in Edible Notables…
8. Farm Discovery at Live Earth – engages kids and families with seasonal, organic, and local food systems for their bodies, the environment and their communities. Read more in our story Orchard Dinner Delights…
9. MEarth – provides innovative, hands-on sustainability education to thousands of students each year through its organic garden and LEED-certified teaching kitchen. Read more in our story MEarth Digs in to Feed the Hungry…
10. Second Harvest Food Bank – sources over 11 million pounds of food each year—60% of it fresh produce—and distributes it to 150 food pantries, schools, soup kitchens, group homes, youth centers, and Second Harvest program sites. Read more: Read more in our story Food Bank Brings in the National Guard to Feed the Hungry…
11. Teen Kitchen Project – provides critically and chronically ill people in Santa Cruz County with home-delivered, medically-tailored free or low-cost meals, at the same time teaching teens to cook and work in a kitchen environment. Read more in our story 2015 Best Nonprofit…
About the author
Deborah Luhrman is publisher and editor of Edible Monterey Bay. A lifelong journalist, she has reported from around the globe, but now prefers covering our flourishing local food scene and growing her own vegetables in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
