Fortifying Food Businesses in the Wake of the Los Angeles Wildfires

January 2025. A series of devastating wildfires swept through Los Angeles County, driving out homeowners, farmers, students, and businesses from their homes and places of work. The Eaton Fire burned for 24 days, but even before the disaster was contained, the Los Angeles community united in action and spirit to evacuate those in danger, support those in need, and eventually, rebuild. Southwest Regional Food Business Center partners, Diaspora Groceries and Prosperity Market, were two of those on the ground, rallying in response to the wildfire disaster.

The Power of Community

Diaspora Groceries is a nonprofit organization that uplifts communities through food assistance initiatives, educational initiatives, and community outreach efforts.

When the fires struck Los Angeles, entire neighborhoods were displaced, and local food businesses struggled to continue operations. Diaspora Groceries responded quickly. They harnessed their networks within the community to connect those impacted by the disaster with resource providers throughout the greater Los Angeles community. The Diaspora Groceries team was on the ground, directing people to free meals, produce, and even kitchens available for their use. For example, Diaspora Groceries connected food businesses with shelters: the Diaspora Groceries’ team worked to get vendors’ foods into shelters crowded with fire survivors.

Diaspora Groceries also supported the work of its sister business She Ready Foundation, which works to empower, support and encourage children living in the foster care system. During the fires, the She Ready Foundation took in a group of foster youth who had to be evacuated from their home. Diaspora Groceries provided the boys with high-quality meals, a pipeline of fresh produce from vendors in the Diaspora Groceries network, and a sense of unity and hope. Diaspora Groceries vendors such as Dulan’s, a Los Angeles based soul food restaurant, also donated food to be served at She Ready Foundation events supporting those impacted by the fires.

As a direct result of the fires, lost property, lost resources stockpiles, and lack of customers, many small food businesses struggled to continue operations when their services were most needed. Diaspora Groceries, relying on their knowledge and logistics systems, provided technical assistance to small, struggling food businesses in the Los Angeles region. This technical assistance took the form of webinars to find funding, share best practices for grant-writing, and strengthen food business economic viability.

Diaspora Groceries’ technical assistance and network activation were a saving grace for a community desperate for high-quality food and small food businesses struggling to find new markets.

The Potency of Resilience

Prosperity Market is a mobile farmers market and food truck hybrid that brings high-quality food directly into under-resourced neighborhoods across Los Angeles.

When the fires struck Los Angeles, neighborhoods already challenged with food access found the difficulties suddenly almost insurmountable. Prosperity Market saw the need and found itself uniquely suited to respond with its adaptable, community-based food system aimed at immediate and long-term needs. Prosperity Market pivoted. They transformed their commercial kitchen into a logistics hub, offering cold storage to chefs serving those impacted by the fire. They aggregated and distributed donations, using their mobile trailer to host dignified, donation-based shopping events. They collaborated with partner farms and organizations to distribute fresh produce and pantry goods throughout affected areas.

Prosperity Market also focused on building a sustainable, long-term strategy: fire relief is now integrated into Prosperity Market’s mission and planning. They are relaunching their mobile farmers market, a solar-powered and electric trailer that goes from neighborhood to neighborhood offering up a selection of locally grown produce and prepared foods. They are expanding the scope of their kitchen to function as a full-service food hub. In addition to these changes, they are preparing for their annual scavenger hunt, a community event supporting local food businesses, and increasing their support for local producers through institutional and retail partnerships.

As a consequence of the crisis, Prosperity Market is now transitioning from short-term donation-based relief to a model where they purchase directly from local food businesses and producers. This new model will provide a positive, long-term economic impact for both businesses and their community.

Prosperity Market’s efforts, anchored in economic and community resilience, lead the way toward a more stable and responsive regional food system.

The Southwest Regional Food Business Center and the Regional Food Business System

The support of the Southwest Regional Food Business Center has been key in Diaspora Groceries’ and Prosperity Market’s relief efforts. The Center is a hub for regional food system information, streamlining and simplifying up to date information on processes central to small business viability, making partners aware of funding opportunities they can pass on to their clients, and overcoming the barriers to small food businesses with limited bandwidth to seek out resources. The Center also facilitates a shared strategy across its network through regular meetings, brainstorming sessions, and peer collaboration, strengthening existing partnerships that are key in times of crisis.

Other Sources

California, State of. “California Continues to Help Individuals in Regions Impacted by Los Angeles Fires Access Health Care, Food and Water, and Shelter.” Governor of California, 3 Apr. 2025, www.gov.ca.gov/2025/01/20/california-continues-to-help-individuals-in-regions-impacted-by-los-angeles-fires-access-health-care-food-and-water-and-shelter/.
“L.A. Fires Latest: Close to 200,000 People Remain under Mandatory Evacuation.” NPR, 9 Jan. 2025, www.npr.org/2025/01/09/nx-s1-5254058/l-a-fires-latest-close-to-200-000-people-remain-under-mandatory-evacuation.