Vallie Gilley was looking to create a zero-waste, sustainability catering business when she opened O’side Kitchen Collaborative with a mission of raising awareness about food waste. When the pandemic hit though, O’side Kitchen Collaborative had to pivot, and fast. Fueled by grant support from the city of Oceanside, The San Diego Foundation and others, the nonprofit took rescued food and distributed more than 250,000 meals in the first four months of the pandemic alone. On top of that, the organization hired furloughed restaurant employees to assist in the work.