Community Changer: Capitol Compassion in Sacramento
Sacramento, California, the capitol of the state, sits atop one of the most agriculturally productive areas on the planet - known locally as the ‘Central Valley’.
Unfortunately, this high level of agribusinesses doesn’t exactly translate into food security for the population - a pattern that repeats itself across this fertile valley. The Sacramento region struggles with high rates of food insecurity, widespread ‘food deserts’, and an overall lack of resources outside of traditional food pantries.
In 2021, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services reported an increased demand for food resources post-COVID-19 - with their recipient base increasing from 150k people to over 300k. This story is all too common throughout California and around the country; more and more people are finding themselves relying on community organizations to help meet their food-related needs.
As the cost of living continues to rise across the board (especially in states like California), it’s likely that this trend will grow stronger.
One of Replate’s food recovery partners, Capitol Compassion, is a Sacramento-based nonprofit who, in their own words, aim to “eradicate food insecurity, support homeless initiatives, assist refugees, and provide job training for special needs adults by giving dignity to every individual”.
Capitol Compassion was formally established in 2023 by Pastor Rick Cole, senior pastor at Capital Christian Center. This effort was an expansion of the Christian center’s more than 20 years of work feeding food insecure populations, supporting local families, and serving unhoused community members. Their work primarily encompasses the Sacramento area, Rancho Cordova, and some unincorporated surrounding communities.
Now that food recovery/donation has become law for food generators in California, organizations like Capitol Compassion have been stepping in to fill crucial gaps in food recovery services as well.
Some of their first food recovery partners included major hospitals and healthcare networks throughout the Sacramento area; Capitol Compassion’s volunteers rescue fresh, prepared food donations from these hospital sites and repurpose that food into nutritious meals for their food services.
They also heavily prioritize and invest in local and community partnerships - by collaborating with other non-profits, local businesses, and school districts, Capitol Compassion is able to efficiently and equitably re-circulate rescued food back into the community.
Additionally, Lisa Berry, their Director of Human Resources, notes the following: “These connections also open doors for families to access additional resources—such as housing navigation, benefits enrollment, behavioral health services, and workforce development—making food recovery a gateway to long-term stability”.
With regards to food recovery, one of the challenges that Capitol Compassion is facing is a lack of “Tier 2” food generators to rescue from in Sacramento. These food generators typically donate prepared (fresh, cooked) items, a category that’s often overlooked in food donation conversations.
These types of donations are extremely valuable for non-profits serving food insecure populations, as many of these recipients lack consistent access to cooking appliances.
So far, Capitol Compassion has rescued more than 11,000 lbs of prepared food through Replate’s Partner org Program!
Even though California’s SB1383 law requires that all businesses designated as food generators (separated into Tier 1 and 2) donate the maximum amount possible of any surplus food that is produced, many businesses have been slow to adapt - in addition to enforcement not being consistent across the board.
Here at Replate, we’re proud to partner with organizations like Capitol Compassion. Having them in our Partner Organization Program (PoP) allows us to not only support them and their work, but also to expand and normalize food recovery efforts in the Sacramento area.
Thank you Capitol Compassion team for helping to ensure that #EverybodyEats!