Hillary Cohen, a native of Glastonbury, has been recognized as a finalist for the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year. This prestigious honor highlights her innovative approach to addressing food insecurity through her nonprofit organization, Every Day Action, which she co-founded in 2020. Based in Los Angeles, the nonprofit focuses on redistributing surplus food from film sets to individuals in need throughout the city.
The inspiration for Every Day Action stemmed from Cohen’s experiences on film sets. She noticed substantial amounts of food going to waste, which prompted her to question why such perfectly good food could not be donated. “I kind of immediately got this idea in my head and started asking why so much perfectly good food was being thrown away,” Cohen explained. She often encountered the rationale that food could not be donated due to safety or liability concerns, but the idea continued to resonate with her.
After earning a degree from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, Cohen moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Hollywood. She quickly ascended to the role of assistant director in the Directors Guild of America, working on notable projects, including the popular television series “The Office.”
Cohen described the food operations on film sets as extensive, often involving catered meals of high-quality ingredients. “A lot of film sets are often catered, we’re talking huge operations where they bring in trucks of food,” she said. Noticing that these film sets often operated in neighborhoods with high rates of homelessness, she felt the disparity acutely. “Can you imagine being hungry and having to smell food cooking while not being able to eat it?” she added.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 provided an unexpected turning point for Cohen. With many Hollywood productions halted, she decided to pivot her career towards her longtime aspiration of running a nonprofit dedicated to alleviating hunger. Collaborating with fellow filmmaker Samantha Luu, Cohen researched the legalities surrounding food donation from film sets. They discovered that laws permitted the donation of uneaten food, leading to the establishment of Every Day Action.
Since its inception, the nonprofit has successfully donated nearly 200,000 pounds of food to those in need across Los Angeles. The organization has expanded its operations to include surplus food from business events and conferences, serving a diverse community within a roughly 90-mile radius of downtown Los Angeles.
Cohen highlighted the growing need for food assistance, particularly as many individuals face challenges with their SNAP benefits. “The need has just gotten so great since when I first started working in Hollywood,” she remarked, noting the visible contrasts between wealth and poverty she has witnessed in the city.
Being named a finalist for the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year has the potential to significantly impact Every Day Action’s operations. The award recognizes individuals whose dedicated efforts create positive change in their communities. The winner, determined by public votes, will receive a $100,000 grant for their nonprofit.
Cohen is one of five finalists competing for this honor, alongside others who are addressing various social issues, including environmental sustainability and support for incarcerated individuals. She appealed to her fellow Connecticut residents for support, stating, “It would mean so much to have support from my home state.”
Voting for the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year is open to the public until November 30. Individuals can cast up to ten votes daily at heroes.votenow.tv, with an opportunity to double their votes by sharing via Facebook. The winner will be announced during a special program titled “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” hosted by Anderson Cooper.
Cohen’s commitment to addressing food insecurity and her innovative approach through Every Day Action exemplify the spirit of the CNN Heroes initiative, inspiring others to consider how they can make a difference in their communities.
