Second Helpings: The Challenge of Getting Food to the Hungry

At the end of banquets and catered events, untouched food is often scraped from plates, tossed into dumpsters, and dumped into landfills. In L.A. County alone, more than one million tons of food is dumped into area landfills. Why is it so difficult to deliver cooked food to the needy? That's what reporter Val Zavala wanted to find out when she met with Arlene Mercer, founder of Food Finders. The non-profit group has honed a system for delivering approximately 50,000 meals a year to the needy. But it isn't easy. Health laws and regulations make transporting prepared food difficult. Other laws are helping to make food donations easier. Val Zavala looks at the challenges of reducing food waste and feeding thousands of hungry people at the same time. What happens to thousands of pounds of leftover food at catering events and banquet halls? Reporter Val Zavala finds out why it's so difficult to donate perfectly packaged food.

Featuring Interviews With:

• Ryan Choura, CEO, Choura Events
• Arlene Mercer, former CEO, Food Finders
• Syd Mandelbaum, Rock and Wrap it Up
• Susan Kersher, director, Shelter Kitchen