Sowing Seeds for Life

What Sowing Seeds for Life does

Sowing Seeds for Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2005 in La Verne, California, with active food distribution operations beginning in December 2007. The organization provides free food and emergency assistance to food-insecure individuals and families across more than sixteen cities spanning eastern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County. Its service model is built around drive-thru food pantries — operated on scheduled dates at partner churches (Charisma Life Church in Pomona; Grand View Baptist Church in Grand Terrace) — and a mobile food pantry that reaches underserved neighborhoods and college campuses. By 2009, the organization reported serving approximately 5,000 families per month, equivalent to roughly 60,000 people annually.

Operationally, Sowing Seeds for Life runs a low-tech, volunteer-intensive distribution model: there is no proprietary software platform; activities consist of manual food sorting, checking, and hand-out at pantry sites. The supply backbone is a partner-agency relationship with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, from which the organization receives food at a subsidized rate of approximately $0.20 per pound and an allotment 12 times the norm based on its demonstrated distribution efficiency. The portfolio of programs extends beyond direct food distribution to include nutrition education (La Verne, Covina, West Covina), a Gleaning Garden program, holiday distribution events, back-to-school and gift drives, homeless supportive services, and recurring annual fundraisers (Hearts to Fight Hunger; Celebrity Golf Tournament for Charity).

The business model is non-commercial. All distributions are provided free of charge to recipients; the organization is funded entirely by tax-deductible individual donations, corporate contributions, foundation grants, and in-kind food donations from partners including Target, Walmart, Honda, Stater Bros., Sprouts, WinCo Foods, Albertsons, Fairplex, and others, as well as high-profile individual donors such as NBA legend Jerry West. Sowing Seeds for Life was founded by Vicki Brown, who serves as CEO and is also president of DPI Labs, Inc., the aerospace company that hosts the organization's headquarters at 1350 Arrow Highway, La Verne. Operations are volunteer-driven with 1–10 disclosed personnel, no external parent or venture funding, and a 2021 California State Senate recognition (Senator Connie Leyva Award) as its primary external accolade.

Name

Sowing Seeds for Life

Legal name

Sowing Seeds for Life

Website

https://sowingseedsforlife.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sowing Seeds for Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2005 that provides free drive-thru and mobile food pantries, plus nutrition education and emergency assistance, to food-insecure individuals across 16+ cities in eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

La Verne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Sowing Seeds for Life operates entirely on donated funds and in-kind food contributions. Revenue comes from individual donors, corporate donors, and foundation grants. The organization also receives food at subsidized cost (~20 cents per pound) from the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Food distributions are provided free of charge to recipients. Donations are tax-deductible.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sowing Seeds for Life operates drive-thru and mobile food pantries that distribute free groceries to low-income individuals and families experiencing food insecurity across 16+ cities in eastern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County. The organization also provides nutrition education, community outreach, holiday food distributions, and a gleaning garden program to address hunger in the Inland Empire region.

Product overview

Sowing Seeds for Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit food bank organization offering a unified portfolio of hunger relief services. The core offerings include a Drive-Thru Food Pantry providing direct food distribution, a Mobile Food Pantry reaching underserved areas and colleges, and Nutrition Education Programs. Supporting services include Community Outreach Programs with back-to-school, health and wellness, and job training components, plus seasonal Holiday Distribution events and an annual Celebrity Golf Tournament fundraiser. The organization serves communities across eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino Counties, operating from multiple pantry locations including Pomona, Grand Terrace, and La Verne.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drive-Thru Food Pantry Free drive-thru food distribution service allowing recipients to receive groceries without leaving their vehicles, operated at Pomona and Grand Terrace locations for individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.
• Mobile Food Pantry Mobile food distribution units that bring free groceries to underserved communities across 16+ cities in eastern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County.
• Nutrition Education Programs Educational programs teaching food pantry recipients about nutrition, healthy eating habits, and food preparation to maximize the impact of distributed groceries.
• Community Outreach Programs Outreach initiatives connecting the organization with communities in need of food assistance across eastern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County.
• Holiday Food Distribution Special food distribution events during holidays ensuring families have access to nutritious food during holiday seasons.
• Gleaning Garden Program Program that recovers surplus produce from gardens and farms to supplement the organization's food distribution efforts.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Los Angeles Regional Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSowing Seeds for Life is a partner agency of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The organization receives food at subsidized rates (~20 cents per pound) and picks up bulk food donations from the LA Regional Food Bank. Due to its efficient distribution operations, SSFL receives 12x the normal food allotment from this partnership.
• TargetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTarget corporate team volunteers have participated in food pantry distributions in Pomona, providing employee volunteer support.
• WalmartminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWalmart team members have volunteered at pantry distributions in Pomona, providing employee volunteer support.
• Southern California Honda (Helpful Honda Team)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHonda's Helpful Honda team participated in holiday kick-off luncheon and pantry distributions in Pomona in 2023, providing employee volunteers.
• Stater Bros. MarketsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional grocery chain Stater Bros. is listed as a partner/donor, contributing food donations to support pantry operations.
• Sprouts Farmers MarketminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSprouts Farmers Market is listed as a partner/donor contributing fresh produce and food donations.
• FairplexminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairplex (Los Angeles County Fair Association) is listed as a pantry partner and has collaborated with Sowing Seeds for Life for community events.
• GFWC La Verne-San Dimas Women's ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe GFWC La Verne-San Dimas Women's Club has partnered with Sowing Seeds for Life for annual chocolate bunny drives and other fundraising activities. Club members volunteer at pantry distributions.
• DPI Labs, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSowing Seeds for Life was founded by Vicki Brown, CEO of DPI Labs, Inc. of La Verne. SSFL originated from DPI Labs and operates from its facility. DPI Labs provides the infrastructure, warehouse space, and operational support. DPI Labs is an FAA-approved aerospace company.
• Pomerado Hospital / Palomar HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a community partner supporting Sowing Seeds for Life's operations.
• KCAA RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal radio station KCAA is listed as a community partner, likely providing media/awareness support.
• Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMt. San Antonio College is listed as a community partner, with mobile food pantry services provided to college students.
• University of La VerneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity of La Verne is listed as a community partner.
• Cal Poly PomonaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCal Poly Pomona is listed as a community partner.
• WinCo FoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWinCo Foods is listed as a partner/donor contributing food donations.
• Yaamava' Resort & CasinominorGTM or Marketing PartnerYaamava' Resort & Casino is listed as a community partner.
• Tri-City Mental Health ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTri-City Mental Health Services is listed as a community partner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• California Association of Food Banks: Statewide association representing California's 41 food banks, including Sowing Seeds' partners. Operates the Farm to Family program and other statewide food sourcing/distribution initiatives on a comparable mission.
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank: Direct upstream partner of Sowing Seeds for Life and the largest food bank in LA County. It supplies SSFL with food at subsidized rates and operates a comprehensive network of partner agencies, food distributions, and nutrition programs across the same geographic region.
• Feeding America: The largest hunger-relief organization in the U.S. operating a nationwide network of 200+ food banks. SSFL is part of this broader ecosystem via its LA Regional Food Bank partnership, making it a direct comparable in the community food services category.

Direct peers

• Pomona Hope / Inland Valley Hope Partners: Community-based nonprofit serving food-insecure families in the Pomona and Inland Valley area, directly overlapping with Sowing Seeds' service region. Operates food pantries, emergency assistance, and similar volunteer-driven programs.
• Food Bank of Southern California (SBC Food Bank): Regional food bank serving San Bernardino County, the same core service area as Sowing Seeds. Operates mobile pantries, partner agency networks, and direct food distribution programs targeting food-insecure residents in SSFL's operating geography.
• Catholic Charities of San Bernardino / Riverside: Faith-based social services organization operating food pantries and emergency assistance programs in the same Inland Empire region as Sowing Seeds. Comparable in target population, service delivery model, and funding structure.

Others

• Hunger Free America: National hunger advocacy and direct-service organization running food pantries and nutrition programs. Thematically comparable to Sowing Seeds as a community food services nonprofit addressing food insecurity at the local level.

Emerging players

• Meals on Wheels of America: National nonprofit providing food to seniors and vulnerable populations through volunteer-driven delivery. Shares SSFL's volunteer-dependent, donation-funded, no-tech-light operating model and similar community-service DNA.
• Food Forward: Southern California-based food recovery and redistribution nonprofit with a gleaning and produce rescue program. Conceptually comparable to SSFL's Gleaning Garden Program and broader hunger-relief mission.

Regional players

• Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County: Adjacent regional food bank operating in Southern California with similar mobile pantry, drive-thru distribution, and partner agency models. Comparable in scale, mission, and operational approach though serving a different county.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sowingseedsforlife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sowing-seeds-for-life

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sowing Seeds for Life