To battle commercial food waste, “food rescue”
groups use volunteers to pick up donated food
and deliver it to nonprofits that feed the hungry.
‘’KFC is preparing chicken continuously, Chipotle
is preparing food continuously. We rescue it
while it’s still hot and freeze it quickly,” says Bill
Reighard, founder and CEO of Food Donation
Connection. The nonprofit has been battling
food waste since 1992, coordinating donations
from companies like Pizza Hut.
Another group, Feeding America, has built a
nationwide network arranging regular pickups
of surplus food from major grocery chains for
delivery to more than 200 food banks.
Advocates say more and more people are
volunteering, due to environmental concerns.
Taking food that would be wasted to those in
need is a good way to fight the despair and
inaction that many people feel in the face
of climate change and inequality, says Leah
Lizarondo, co-founder of the nonprofit 412 Food
Rescue, based in Pittsburgh.
“It’s a step that you can take today,” she says,
“and it’s very clear what your impact is. It’s as
clear as feeding someone that day.”
Along with arranging food pickups from
supermarkets, Lizarondo’s nonprofit created an
app called Food Rescue Hero that works almost
like Uber or Lyft: People who are out in their
cars can log in and see if any unwanted food is
available at a nearby restaurant or store. They
can volunteer on the spot to deliver it to a food
pantry or soup kitchen.
Food Rescue Hero is now available in San
Francisco, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
and Virginia.