Eat & Drink

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, “More than 10 percent of the U.S. population depends on nonprofit food distribution organizations for a significant part of their nutritional needs.”  With the impact of our economic downturn, more families are at risk of deciding between putting a meal on their plate or keeping a roof over their heads.

Food rescue programs ease this tension by providing food for a low fee or at no cost at all.  Bridging the food industry with non-profit organizations, food rescue programs collect surplus prepared and perishable food from restaurants, corporate cafeterias, caterers, grocery stores and other food service establishments and distribute the food to social service agencies to help families in hardship.

Here are some local food rescue programs worth checking out:

Food Finders

Located in Long Beach, Food Finders is a multi-regional food bank that operates as a conduit between donors and people in need.  Serving 230 agencies and over 50,000 meals per day, it has diverted 72,000,000 pounds of food from landfills since its inception in 1989.  With the generosity of commercial and private donors Food Finders established Finders Keepers, a program that resells reclaimed furniture, antiques and household items as well.  100% of the proceeds are donated to Food Finders to continue their invaluable efforts in serving the community.  For more information on how you can become a Food Finders volunteer, please visit their website or call (562) 598-3003.

The City of Irvine

A local government that has pledged to solving hunger and reducing our waste stream is the City of Irvine.  Our neighbor to the south has sought out a partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County to establish the Irvine Food Rescue Program.  Second Harvest is a non-profit organization that coordinates food drives and donations with other partnering organizations such as churches, shelter, senior centers and other emergency assistance organizations.  Within the past year, the Irvine Food Rescue program has benefitted 112 agencies resulting in over 363,264 lbs of rescued food.  Angie Burgh, Management Analyst II at the City of Irvine, says, “The City of Irvine strives to be a leader in sustainability.  Our partnership with Second Harvest of Orange County has created a fresh approach to reduce unnecessary waste by rescuing food for individuals in need.”  For more information on volunteer opportunities at Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, please visit their website.

Macy’s

In the business world, Macy’s has launched a “Come Together” campaign to raise 100 million meals for Feeding America and its network of food banks in tribute to “Hunger Awareness Month” last month.  This campaign encourages the public to host special dinner parties at home and ask guests to pledge a donation to Feeding America in lieu of bringing a host gift.  Macy’s will match donations dollar for dollar until the goal of 100 million meals is reached.

Whether it be a non-profit, public or private agency that crafts solutions to eliminate hunger and reduce waste simultaneously, we can see that communities are making a difference.

Feeding America states, “99% of all participating food banks reported increases in demand for emergency food assistance over the last year.”

Help out these organizations by finding better use for your reclaimed household items or better yet, encourage restaurants in your area to donate their perishable food to a great cause while also keeping waste out of our landfills.

Tags: food bank, Green Living, Green Los Angeles, hunger awareness, Reduce