Every Day Action: Reducing Food Waste in the Entertainment Industry
On a typical Tuesday, Samantha Luu and Arun Goswami are hard at work in a warehouse on Alvarado Street, sorting through day-old cupcakes and artisan bread while waiting for text notifications from TV shoots all over Los Angeles.
One of the shows they usually receive leftovers from, “Nobody Wants This,” filming in Eagle Rock, has no surplus crew meal items. Similarly, “The Lincoln Lawyer,” shooting at L.A. Center Studios, also has no extras. In such cases, Arun quickly switches to plan B by delivering leftover Whole Foods baked goods to organizations like the Hollywood Food Coalition.
Every Day Action, founded by former assistant directors Hillary Cohen and Luu in 2020, aims to combat waste in productions. The nonprofit’s drivers traverse the city, making stops at sets of popular shows like “Abbott Elementary,” “NCIS,” “9-1-1,” and “The Pitt.”
“We were tired of seeing so much food being thrown away, especially during COVID, so we decided to take action,” says Cohen, who now manages Every Day Action full time.
Today, the organization distributes over 85,000 meals annually, providing food to homeless individuals, veterans, and families through various charities such as Bridge to Home, SELAH, and Alexandria House.
“We cover a wide range, from Santa Clarita to San Pedro, following film productions. We collect leftover gourmet catering after lunch and ensure it reaches those in need,” explains Cohen.
Luu and Cohen operate from a warehouse in Historic Filipinotown known as the Food Insecurity Shared Hub (FISH), where multiple organizations collaborate to store and redistribute food and supplies.
The organization’s ultimate goal is to expand the warehouse to accommodate cold and pallet storage, allowing for food collection at night and storage for the next day. To facilitate this expansion, Every Day Action is hosting its third annual celebrity fundraising gala on May 17, with Rachel Bloom set to host. The event will see Noah Wyle presenting the Heart of Humanity award to “The Pitt” showrunner R. Scott Gemmil. Tickets for a pre-gala happy hour are still available.
Despite a decline in film and TV production across the city, commercials remain steady. Cohen notes that commercials generate a significant amount of food waste due to their short shoot durations.
With funding from the Annenberg Foundation and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, as well as support from entertainment companies, Every Day Action not only addresses food waste but also provides employment opportunities for industry workers.
“We hire production assistants, background artists, and anyone in the industry facing difficulties as drivers whenever possible,” says Cohen.
Goswami, a van driver for the organization, previously worked in craft services for eight years before experiencing a slowdown in jobs. Reflecting on his career change, he shares, “I wasn’t prepared for this level of inactivity.” Cohen emphasizes that Every Day Action’s approach serves a triple purpose of addressing food waste, supporting struggling production workers, and feeding those in need.
Cohen expresses concern about the escalating challenges ahead, predicting a rise in food insecurity in Los Angeles and the United States over the next few years. She emphasizes the urgency of combating this issue through collective efforts and innovative solutions.
