Recover Rochester
North America

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Help on campus dining halls, and local restaurants reduce their food waste by recovering and reallocating leftover foods. The recovered food will be distributed to local soup kitchen and shelters.

Standings & Awards

386 out of 422 in North America
45 out of 94 in Food & Nutrition
115 out of 573 in Pilot
602 out of 992 in Charitable
1588 out of 4003 Overall
Recover food to feed the hungry.

1 in 6 Americans are currently struggling with food insecurity as well as hunger. Each day, thousands and thousands pounds of edible food is thrown away. While some of that food may be composted, most of it sent to a landwill or incinerator, degrading our environment.

 

With the number of hungry people in America, as well as the amount of edible food being wasted, how can we help reduce both of those numbers?

 

This project helps recover edible food that would have otherwise gone to waste. By recovering these foods and delivering them to the local souup kitchens and shleters we are helping to bring food to those in need while diverting material from the waste stream. As most of the food is already prepared, this also reduces limited volunteer/staff time needed to prepare food in the soup kitchens and shelters. This project benefits the local community as well as dining/restaurant facilities, and looking to expand its services as far out as possible.

Sponsors, Investors, and Supporters

Grace Waton Dining
Gracie's
On campus dining hall helping with the pilot program. The main donor of the pilot program to help feed the hunger.
Foodlink
Foodlink
Foodlink is the food bank in part of the Feeding America. Foodlink have provided the connection and pathway to the soup kitchens and have help established the relationship.

FIVE PROJECT QUESTIONS Required (60 - 90 minutes)

1. What is your innovation? 
Reducing wasted food while helping to feed the hungry. By reducing the amount of food from the waste stream, we are helping food donors reducing their carbon food print as well as their waste hauling expenses. Feeding the hungry helps those who are struggling with food insecurity.
2. Who gains the most? 
Everyone gains from this project. The people who are struggling with food insecurity as well as the agencies providing meals to these people; the dining halls/restaurants now can reduce their carbon foot prints as well as their cost on waste management.
3. Who pays? 
Currently, our volunteer are using their own gas money. We do not have any source of funding.
4. What is your success? 
In the 3 weeks of the pilot program, over 1,000 lbs of food were recovered and have helped over 2,000 people. After three weeks of this program, 4 other locations have volunteered to join the project because of the desire to reduce wasted food waste and the potential to help many others.
5. How will you do it? 
The project is currently running as a pilot program. The recovered food is frozen to ensure quality and food safety. Volunteers record the weight and then deliver the frozen food to the local soup kitchens. currently there are three soup kitchens participating in the program. There are two more working through the process to join the program and benefit from deliveries.

Badges & Awards

2013 DSIC Project Participant

Members