Food Shift 580 views

Food Shift has been working since 2012 to develop collaborative models that reduce wasted food, feed communities, and provide jobs.  Our model integrates education, environmental sustainability, and workforce development as part of a holistic vision for healthy and sustainable communities and individuals.   The Food Shift Kitchen is a unique social enterprise that recovers produce that would have otherwise been wasted due to cosmetic imperfections and transforms it into nutritious food products that are donated to food insecure communities or sold to generate revenue for the program. The program provides job training and employment to individuals with barriers to employment.

The Food Shift Kitchen is located at Alameda Point Collaborative (APC), a housing cooperative that provides housing assistance for low income and formerly homeless families. 99% are APC residents are living below the poverty line and struggling with disabilities. Food Shift partners with APC’s on the job training (OJT) program to provide a six month culinary apprenticeship and certification program. Apprentices learn valuable work-ready skills that will support them in acquiring future employment– strengthening their economic security and personal empowerment.

Food Shift is committed to building a financially sustainable social enterprise.  This means that while we deliver on our mission to reduce waste and feed people, we are committed to providing jobs for people who need them the most and are actively developing opportunities for revenue generation.  We are inspired and influenced by the success of DC Central Kitchen and we aim to grow our impact throughout the Bay Area and demonstrate a positive model for the rest of the nation to follow.

Food Shift is a project of Earth Island Institute.  Earth Island Institute provides fiscal oversight, administrative services, accounting, training, and technical assistance.  The Program Manager will utilize the systems and processes created by Earth Island and Food Shift for this role.