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Foothill Unity Center reports expanded services, food rescue and training programs serving Duarte residents
Summary
Executive Director Johanna Hirasuna told the council Foothill Unity Center served hundreds of Duarte households, rescues millions of pounds of food annually under SB 1383 compliance, runs job-training and health partnerships, and seeks volunteers and donations for holiday service goals.
Foothill Unity Center Executive Director Johanna Hirasuna presented the nonprofits annual report to the Duarte City Council on Aug. 26, outlining the organizations food-rescue operations, health partnerships and job-training programs and providing a local service tally for Duarte residents.
The nut graf: Foothill Unity is a long-established San Gabriel Valley nonprofit that says it both reduces food waste under SB 1383 compliance and provides direct services to residents; the council was told the organization's capacity and volunteer support are central to meeting local needs.
Hirasuna said Foothill Unity, founded in 1980 and operating from a 10,000-square-foot building since 2018, rescues "almost 3,000,000 plus pounds of food" annually and partners with area colleges and health providers to deliver diabetes prevention, glucose testing and other health screenings. She said the center hosts more than 100 trainees from nursing and related programs and operates a job-development trainee program that logged roughly 16,000 training hours.
On service numbers, Hirasuna told the council that between July and June the center provided more than 9,000 services to Duarte-affiliated individuals, impacted over 600 Duarte households and more than 1,400 Duarte residents overall. The center aims to serve 16,000 individuals and households in the coming year, provide about 790,000 meals and deliver more than 4,000 case-management service units, she said. Hirasuna attributed the capacity to volunteers (29 specifically from Duarte during the reporting period), donated funds raised at a June gala and partnerships that supplied infrastructure such as refrigeration to support SB 1383 food-donation work.
Council members thanked Foothill Unity and encouraged volunteer signups and regulatory or outreach cooperation. Hirasuna invited tours and said the organization is organizing holiday programs, including Operation Gobble, which last year directly assisted about 2,000 families and contributes to an overall holiday distribution of 2,000to3,000 families across their centers.
Ending: The council expressed support and urged the public to volunteer or donate ahead of the busy holiday season; Hirasuna said she would follow up with clerks on promotional materials and volunteer contacts.
