Careit, SeaShare and local nonprofits mobilize to donate 50,000 pounds of seafood to Los Angeles families still affected by the historic wildfires

The smoke has cleared from the damaging Los Angeles wildfires from earlier this year, but the damage is still being felt community wide. Numerous reports show that this was one of the worst natural disasters in California history with more than 40,000 acres burned and nearly 16,000 structures (including homes) destroyed which displaced thousands of people.

In the aftermath of the wildfires, many businesses and organizations have rallied to aid those in need who need shelter, food, water, clothing and other essentials to live off of and survive. To make a big impact, rallying together is a smart way to do this – and that’s exactly what Careit, Seashore and numerous LA nonprofits did to provide 50,000 pounds of healthy, frozen seafood to local residents.

Making the Right Connections

It’s difficult for many families in LA and across the U.S. to get access to healthy, nutritious seafood which has essential minerals and vitamins that helps reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommend that Americans of all ages should eat more seafood-at least twice a week-particularly pregnant women and young children. However, less than one in five Americans heed that advice.

Jeffrey Mora, Food Fleet CEO, has worked with Careit for years and introduced them to SeaShare – a non-profit food distributor that helps the seafood industry donate to U.S. hunger-relief efforts – who had a large amount of surplus frozen seafood and teamed up with Careit to donate it to Los Angeles nonprofits – Friends of Anaheim, The Valley Church and Every Day Action – that redistributed it to residents who lost their homes in the Eaton and Palisades fires.

“Careit makes it really easy for both parties to be able to engage in their local communities as well and reduce food waste,” Mora said. “They make it easy for people to do the right thing.”

“The seafood industry was devastated to see what happened in LA, and they’ve made a major effort to contribute assistance including shipping an entire truckload of seafood to many LA communities,” Hannah Lindoff, SeaShare Executive Director said.

When emergencies strike in local communities, providing needed resources in a timely and effective manner is critical to helping those impacted. Careit’s free networked platform solution ensures nonprofits distribute surplus with each other.

“The idea for Careit was born from Hurricane Sandy when donations were pouring in from across the country and ended up as secondary disasters for the nonprofits with limited logistics and coordination to offload what they didn’t need,” Alyson Schill, Careit CEO and Co-founder said. “It’s imperative for us at Careit to bridge the gap between food donors and nonprofits for equitable allocation of food and resources.”

No Catch: Working Together to Feed Those in Need

After the disastrous wildfires this past January, SeaShare connected with Careit to use their free digital marketplace to post their surplus seafood donation. Numerous LA nonprofits were able to reserve the amount of frozen seafood and get logistics assistance to provide much needed resources for residents who were financially devastated by the wildfires.

A common problem for nonprofits who fight food waste is they are often competing for the same grants, donors and volunteers. Collaboration can be rare, but has proven to increase impact and food redistribution, especially in times of need.

See donation results below from SeaShare and Careit’s successful collaboration with multiple LA nonprofits:

“Working with Careit is very easy and professional.Their app organizes the process from start to finish and helps to keep things on course,” George Grachen, Friends of Families President said. “I’ve had the pleasure of receiving other donations like this in the past and look forward to additional ones in the future.”

“From the depths of our hearts, we are appreciative of Careit, Seashore and Hilofish for their incredible generosity,” Cesar Lopez, The Valley Church Pastor said. “Together, we are bringing comfort, strength and a reminder that no one is alone.”

“Every Day Action was proud to help reallocate food surplus from fire centers, further distributing that food to other fire victims and those struggling with food insecurity across LA,” Hillary Cohen, Every Day Action CEO and Co-founder, said. “We are committed to supporting those displaced and in need throughout their entire process of recovery and will continue to help facilitate any donations needed.”

Looking to the Future

This collaborative 50,000-pound food surplus donation was Careit’s largest frozen seafood distribution effort since its inception in 2021. With this success, Careit will continue to provide an easy resource for businesses who want to give but don’t know where to start when an emergency or natural disaster strikes.

In addition, nonprofits who inevitably end up with too many of one donation type during a natural disaster can reshare those items with their fellow nonprofits without causing a burden for disposal or storage in times of crisis.

“With natural disasters increasing in numbers, Careit will continue to provide our free food donation app to maximize rescue operations, recover food and reduce waste,” Schill said. “Together, each partner involved in the LA frozen seafood donation achieved a major win for the families affected by the wildfires, and we hope it has a long-lasting and positive impact for those communities.”