Ever wonder if your neighbors have enough to eat?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, founder Natalie Flores noticed families in L.A. facing hunger while tons of edible food went to waste. Determined to bridge this gap, she connected surplus food from local sources to those in need. As a gardener, community advocate, and non-profit veteran, Natalie launched Nourish LA (Nuestros Alimentos) to make a difference.
Today, Natalie and her team feed over 1,000 people weekly, composting leftovers to reduce waste. Nourish LA also hosts community events like seedling giveaways and gardening events, fostering connection and care.
We believe nourishment is about food and community, spreading love one bag at a time.
24.1% of landfills are
food waste
That means
30-40% of the food supply & 1/3 of food produced
is being wasted.
This is approximately
1.3 billion tons and
$400 billion USD
worth of food.
In 2025, we recovered and distributed
486,652
pounds of food to
30,421
Angelenos in need
Our food recovery partners
Individual donations
from our partners in Los Angeles
Our Sponsors
Our Staff
Natalie Flores-Blackner
Founder and CEO
Natalie Flores-Blackner is a mom, wife and passionate advocate for community empowerment and sustainable food systems. With a background in community engagement and urban farming, Natalie has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between people and their food sources. As a former Community Engagement Coordinator, she worked tirelessly to foster connections within diverse communities, empowering individuals to take an active role in shaping their local food landscape.
Driven by her commitment to addressing food insecurity and environmental sustainability, Natalie founded NourishLA, a groundbreaking nonprofit organization. Under her leadership, Nourish LA has become a driving force in the fight against food waste while simultaneously promoting community well-being. Through innovative urban farming initiatives and educational outreach programs, Natalie and her team work tirelessly to promote access to fresh, healthy food and to cultivate vibrant, inclusive community spaces.
With her dynamic leadership and unwavering dedication, Natalie continues to inspire positive change, transforming neighborhoods and lives one seed at a time.
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Sarah Rivera
Volunteer Coordinator
Sarah was away at college when her mom first mentioned she had started volunteering at a nonprofit called Nourish LA. When Sarah returned to Los Angeles, she began volunteering alongside her mother and quickly discovered a deep resonance with the work. She graduated from Columbia University in 2025 with a B.A. in Computer Science, where she found herself drawn to building technology that prioritizes people and the environment above all. Since then, she has channeled her passion into her position as Volunteer Coordinator, working to build a strong, engaged volunteer base that keeps Nourish LA's mission going strong.
Sarah loves to soak in the sun at the beach. She enjoys yoga, playing video games with her siblings, walking her four dogs, and baking desserts for her family. She proudly speaks fluent Spanish, studied Korean for 4 years at Columbia, and studied French for 5 years in high school.
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Joey Quinto
Distribution Coordinator
As someone who’s devoted my university years to studying history and later anthropology, my interests and educational pursuits have largely revolved around people and relationships. My journey with Nourish LA began as a volunteer in March 2025, but with every Sunday I spent on site engaging with my fellow volunteers and our recipients, my faith in Nourish’s vision grew. As the site coordinator tasked with leading the sorting half of our Sunday food drives, I am even more committed to closing the food cycle, ensuring our community is kept fed, and minimizing food waste.
Off site, I enjoy camping in the mountains– though I tend to favour heading up to Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks over any other landscapes I’ve been to. When I’m not camping, I’m either at home reading or listening to my favourite bands’ entire discographies for the millionth time. Whether I’m revisiting old comforts or venturing into new territories, the passion that fuels my love for the outdoors and music also fuels my dedication to the work I do with Nourish LA.
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Jessica Balsam
Community Engagement Coordinator
A lifelong southern Californian with a deep love for the community, Jessica first discovered Nourish LA during the pandemic and was immediately inspired by our work. Since she began volunteering in 2023, her passion and hard work has been undeniable. Her dedication to the mission quickly grew, and she became an essential part of our team. Now, Jessica is excited to bring her positive energy and commitment to the Community Engagement Coordinator role. Outside of Nourish LA, you can find her hiking, volunteering with animal rescues, organizing social events, or spending time with her family, friends, and her cat, Wolfgang the Wise.
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Henry Tannler
Grants Manager
Henry grew up in Portland, Oregon, where the diverse geography and beautiful, green landscapes cultivated a love for nature. He received a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Oregon, with a focus on policy, planning, and sustainable design. Since moving to southern California, Henry has immersed himself in the nonprofit world, working for organizations that address the crises of homelessness and food insecurity in Los Angeles. Through the use of data-driven storytelling, he hopes to inspire community action, amplify the voices of vulnerable populations, and help create a more sustainable future.
Our Board
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Tom Berg is a Los Angeles based engineering leader. His focus on sustainability and scale has delivered many successes in business technology. Tom believes that solving fundamental issues and basic needs - like food security - provides the best foundation for thriving in a complex world.
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I grew up on the east coast and have a BS from the University of Texas-Austin. I am the fundraiser & treasurer for Nourish LA. I have an edible & native landscaping company, Nature’s Helpers, LLC. I have lived in Los Angeles for 20 years, and have a 6 year old boy. I recently started a Gardening with Purpose group in my neighborhood of Mar Vista, and I share a community garden plot with my best friend. I have been involved with Nourish LA since the very beginning, feeding people out of a garage during the pandemic. I am so proud to be a part of an organization that saves food from going into landfills, which feeds over 1,000 people every week organic and nutritious food.
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Amy Favat worked as an Executive Producer in the advertising industry in Boston for many years before retiring to volunteer full time.
From 2008 - 2014 Amy worked as a volunteer at the non-profit, REACH Beyond Domestic Violence in Boston in their shelter for survivors while also serving on their Board of Directors and fundraising committee.
From 2014 until presently Amy works as a regular volunteer at the drop in center at Safe Place for Youth (SPY) in Venice, a non-profit that provides support and housing to unhoused young adults.
She also served on their Board of Directors and annual fundraiser committee for ten years.
From 2024 until presently Amy has worked as a volunteer at A Sense of Home, a non-profit that provides life long support and housing to young people aging out of the foster care system. She also serves on their newly formed Board of Directors in LA.
Amy has spearheaded many enterprises centered around social issues within the community. The first being 100 Pieces which is a yearly silent art auction that raises money and awareness for
A Sense of Home. Since starting the event in 2014 it has raised over $300,000.00.
In 2017 Amy also created the Lost & Found initiative which is a collective of volunteers who collect discarded items from LA gyms to be sorted and cleaned and given a new life to the unhoused community at Safe Place for Youth.
During the recent LA fires, Amy created alongside her daughter, The Venice Giving Garage, to provide much needed essentials, supplies, and clothing to folks impacted by the fires.
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Owen is a Los Angeles native who has spent his life working to grow community by connecting people of all ages to soil and food. He currently works in Development for The Nature Conservancy where he works to protect the natural world throughout Southern California. He spends his weekends building gardens to increase food sovereignty through Nourish LA’s Good Karma Gardens Project.
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Lara Shortz counsels management through their most complex employment matters—ranging from pivotal executive transitions to sensitive workplace issues and large-scale workforce changes—with decisive leadership, sharp strategic insight, and a pragmatic, solutions-driven mindset.
A formidable litigator, Lara has built a remarkable record of success in state and federal court. She regularly defends businesses in cases involving gender-based claims—such as pay equity and #MeToo-related actions—as well as wage and hour class and collective actions under PAGA. Her litigation experience also includes dozens of single-plaintiff claims involving discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. For many years, she led Michelman Robinson’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, and she remains a go-to lawyer for employment disputes that demand both strategic and sensitive handling.
Recognized multiple times by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the most influential women attorneys in the city, Lara’s advisory practice spans contract negotiations, restrictive covenants, WARN Act compliance, and workforce-related risk management across industries, including hospitality, gaming, and consumer products. She blends sharp legal judgment with a grounded understanding of business operations, helping organizations navigate pivotal moments with clarity and impact.
As Office Managing Partner in Los Angeles, Lara is a key architect of the firm’s growth and culture. She launched M&R’s ONE:LA initiative to drive lateral recruitment, professional development, community engagement, and internal retention—four pillars that continue to shape the firm’s presence in Southern California.
Lara’s leadership extends beyond her legal practice. She is a frequent speaker at industry events and remains active in civic and philanthropic initiatives, serving on the board of directors of Nourish LA—a nonprofit redefining food justice in Los Angeles. Lara also continues to mentor the next generation of lawyers at the firm. In 2024, she was named an Inspirational Women Leadership Awards Nominee by the Los Angeles Times Studio.
