Food Rescue US

Food Rescue US is committed to reducing food waste and food insecurity in America. Using technology, we engage volunteers to transfer would be wasted fresh food from local businesses to social service agencies serving the food insecure. Food Rescue US has provided more than 43 million meals to those experiencing food insecurity and kept more than 59 million pounds of food waste out of landfills across 33 locations in 20 states and District of Columbia. We partner with over 1,700 food donors, 8,600 food rescuers, and 1,200 social service agencies. Because of our direct-transfer model, we are able to rescue fresh, healthy perishables and premade meals and provide them directly to agencies serving the food insecure, increasing the overall nutritional value of the meals our agency partners can serve.

Food Rescue US was founded on the concept of empowering communities. All participants in our work are members of the communities that we serve, including our Site Directors, food donors, food rescuers, and social service agency partners. Our model connects community members whose paths may never have crossed and gives communities the resources they need to serve themselves. Local volunteers use their personal vehicles to transport food and engage directly with our partner agencies, allowing them to experience the results of their efforts firsthand and immediately. Many members of the Food Rescue US movement have shared that their work with Food Rescue US has deepened their commitment and sense of belonging to their community.

In response to COVID-19, we have continued our operations and launched three new initiatives: our Community Kitchens, Restaurant Meal Program, and Farm Distribution Program. Our Community Kitchens are staffed by food service personnel who prepare meals that are then delivered by our volunteers to people in need. Through our Restaurant Meal Program, we purchase meals from local restaurants that our volunteers then deliver to local agencies. Both of these initiatives provide fresh, healthy meals to the growing number of people impacted by COVID-19 and support local restaurants that may be at risk of closing due to COVID-19.  Our Farm Distribution Program expands upon the work that we were already doing to prevent the alarming amount of food waste on farms. Currently, we are partnering with the Farm Link Project and the USDA Farmers to Families Program to rescue massive surpluses from farms across the country and provide them to communities in need.