This woman has created the first-ever vegan food bank in Los Angeles

Gwenna Hunter has founded The Vegans of Los Angeles Food Bank, the city’s first vegan food bank, making her the first Black woman to do so, according to a news release.

The vegan food bank describes itself as “where local volunteers and donors come together to bring life to a fantastic vegan project! We spread awareness of our cause and what we do in our blog with vegan podcasts, vegan news, and events.”

“We want to create a solid and united community of vegans to come and satisfy their needs. We have a humanitarian and empathetic approach to everyone who comes,” it added.

The organization was established to not only alleviate food insecurity but also to bring hope, light, and dignity to the community. In partnership with Hope on Union, the food bank works with other donors such as All Vegetarian Inc., Califia Farms, Chobani, Omni Foods, and Just Eggs to help people fill their bags with free plant-based products once a month.

“When I started this a year ago, I knew I wanted to give people what their bodies need: healthy food on a continuous basis minus our planet’s animals,” Hunter said in the release.

The entrepreneur added that her organization serves over 600 people in a single day within a 3-hour period once a month between the physical food bank and a vegan food outreach program they sponsor at the historic West Presbyterian church in Los Angeles. “The need and desire for plant-based nutrition is tremendous!” she said.

Hunter added that she and her team are committed to building a healthy and compassionate community while working towards a more sustainable future for the planet, the animals, and the entire human race.