Grand Opening of New Community Food Recovery Hub

CONTACT: Ted Gerber, Deputy Public Works Director, [email protected]; 805 449-2399

Alexandra South, Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs, [email protected]; 805-449-2120

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., October 16, 2026—The City of Thousand Oaks, in partnership with Adelante Comunidad Conejo and with support from a CalRecycle grant, celebrates the opening of a new Community Food Recovery Hub in Thousand Oaks.

Located at the Conejo Valley Unified School District’s Park Oaks Campus, home to Bridges Charter School and Adelante Comunidad Conejo, the hub provides a centralized location for safely collecting, storing, and distributing recovered food.

“This hub is a great example of dedicated members, public and non-profit partnerships that came together to turn a shared vision into a resource that will benefit Thousand Oaks for years to come,” said City of Thousand Oaks Mayor Mikey Taylor. “By recovering edible food that might otherwise go to waste, we are supporting local families, strengthening our community and building a more sustainable future.”

The hub advances the City’s implementation of California’s Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383), which requires jurisdictions to establish edible food recovery programs, including assessing local food recovery capacity. Operated by Adelante Comunidad Conejo, the hub will expand local food recovery capacity, helping recover more edible food from businesses and organizations, and strengthen coordination among food recovery partners throughout Thousand Oaks.

“At Adelante Comunidad Conejo, our work is centered on creating opportunities for people to work together across differences in income, culture, language, age, ability, and background. Food recovery and distribution are central to our efforts to build a stronger community. The Community Food Recovery Hub makes it possible for local food recovery and distribution organizations to rescue and distribute more food to households who are struggling to make ends meet in a time of rising costs,” said Betsy Connelly of Adelante Comunidad Conejo.

The project also includes an electric van purchased through the CalRecycle grant. The van will collect food donations and deliver recovered food to community distribution sites, reducing transportation emissions and fuel costs while helping the hub serve more residents efficiently.

Through these efforts, the City, Adelante Comunidad Conejo, Conejo Valley Unified School District, and many other public and non-profit agencies are expanding access to food to those most in need.

For more information about the City of Thousand Oaks’ food recovery efforts, visit toaks.gov/foodrecovery.To learn more about Adelante Comunidad Conejo, visit www.adelanteconejo.org.

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