The board of our sponsor nonprofit, Idyllwild Forest Health Project (IFHP), understands that the health of the forest and its human residents are profoundly interconnected. Since 2014, after the Mountain Fire of 2013, the founders of IFHP have been researching economically viable approaches to ecosystem-based forest management and catastrophic wildfire prevention. This activity is ongoing.

Following the economic shutdown from COVID-19, IFHP saw community members struggling to feed and care for themselves due to the economic impact of the virus, as well as health and safety concerns when shopping for food. In response to the growing crisis, IFHP launched Mountain Communities Mutual Aid (MCMA) in April 2020 as a project under the IFHP umbrella. As vulnerable members of our community continue to experience food insecurity and economic hardship, we are continuing to develop MCMA as a support network that enables diverse community members to tackle local challenges.

Currently MCMA offers a twice-a-month foodshare which includes healthy produce, proteins, household cleaning and personal hygiene products and olive oil. 60 volunteers come together for the FoodShares that benefit between 400-600 community members in need.