Community Meal Program for LA's Migrant Families

Food insecurity and access to basic needs

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Los Angeles stands as a beacon of hope for countless migrant individuals seeking better futures. However many newly-arrived migrant families face immediate challenges in meeting their basic needs upon arrival in our city. Food insecurity is a widespread issue, as families often have limited financial resources and social support networks upon arrival, making it difficult for them to afford and access adequate food supplies. This lack of food access exacerbates mental and physical health issues while contributing to poor public health and economic outcomes for the entire county. The Nest LA Meal Program offers a forum for families to forge mutually-supportive networks and harness economic opportunity while mitigating health risks associated with malnutrition – promoting healthier communities from within.

As a permanent program at Nest LA, the community-led meal program will offer daily breakfast and lunch to Nest LA and RCC families who attend Nest Global’s free preschool or access RCC’s legal and social services on campus. The program addresses the immediate, pressing need for increased food access for recently arrived migrant families in the city by freely offering home-cooked, culturally supportive, and nutritionally balanced meals to community members before and after school. Co-designed to create meaningful economic opportunity for LA’s newest residents, the program brings direct funding into the community as participants are paid to develop the weekly menu, source ingredients, and prepare meals to share with a group of approximately 50 children and parents each day. Participants explore culinary talents, hone valuable skills such as budgeting and time management and receive valuable nutrition education through a weekly parent education group, furthering families’ long term economic stability. The program fosters social cohesion and partnership among recently-arrived migrant families, many of whom have left behind critical support systems. Community gatherings centered around food create informal spaces for sharing practical information, resources, and advice. This exchange of knowledge fosters mutual assistance and empowers individuals to navigate the challenges of migration more effectively.

Proper nutrition is critical to children’s overall physical health and well-being, impacting all aspects of development. By promoting healthy growth, this program helps to lay a foundation for future academic achievement and overall well-being among LA’s most vulnerable residents. Access to nutritious meals additionally serves to stabilize families, supporting workforce participation and economic advancement.
The Nest LA Meal Program is part of a broader initiative between Nest Global and our partners to develop a comprehensive framework of services for migrant families in LA. Our goal is to build sustainable structures that help families to thrive in a new sociocultural, educational, economic, and linguistic environment. Our program incorporates research and needs-assessment components that will enable us to refine our holistic approach. Our long-term vision is to scale our model so that migrant families throughout LA can more effectively access services that help them to thrive.

Nest Global maintains a database of program information that includes participant intake screenings, daily attendance records, menus, receipts, participant feedback, photos and other impact data. In our pilot phase, participants have shared overwhelming support for the program, citing its impact not just on family nutrition but on parental mental health and self-image. As one participant explained, “For me, [the food program] has been a beautiful experience. I love cooking from the heart and with love for other people. My satisfaction comes from seeing the joy on their faces while they are eating or when they tell me ‘oooh, this food is delicious.’ For me, that is my true compensation. That makes me feel good and makes me feel useful in our society.”
As the program moves into its next phase, we plan to implement a more robust participant survey to capture participant feedback and personal experience on an ongoing basis.

The Nest LA meal program is a collaborative effort between Nest Global and Refugee Children Center. RCC team members support enrollment in the meal program by recruiting new families, conduct intake assessments and referrals, and by fostering community engagement through supportive programming. The meal program is offered in tandem with RCC’s wraparound services which include legal, housing and social support and adult enrichment programs. RCC additionally supports administrative aspects of the meal program including scheduling, space and supply logistics, and special event planning.