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Q: How does We Don't Waste operate?
A: We are not a food bank, but rather, we source restaurant-quality food and fresh produce donated by generous members of the food service industry and deliver it to over 50 nonprofit organization in our community, including homeless shelters, food pantries, women's shelters, and day programs. These organizations report that our services allow them to shift 10-15% of money budgeted for food to other important services for their clients. Additionally, by sourcing food that would otherwise be thrown away, We Don't Waste is preventing hundreds of tons of food from going to waste in the landfills.
Q: How did you start this progressive and wonderful non-profit idea?
A: The genesis of We Don't Waste was my observation that a lot of un-served food remained at the end of professional sports games and other catered events. When I asked what happened with the food, a caterer responded, "It's destined for a landfill." With thousands of people in our community going hungry every day, it didn't make sense that this nutritious food was being wasted. A community survey of nonprofit agencies confirmed they were experiencing reduced funding for food to nourish clients at the same time that demand for services was growing because of the economic downturn.
Conversations with catering companies and other food-service providers elicited a willingness to make un-served food available to feed the hungry. What was missing was a means of collecting the food and delivering it to organizations that feed the hungry. WDW was founded to bridge that gap.
In three years, WDW has recovered and saved over 800 tons from landfills and delivered donated food valued at over $2.7 million, resulting in the distribution of over 3.5 million servings of nutritious food to clients of more than 50 partner nonprofit organizations, such as homeless shelters, that collectively feed over 5,000 individuals on a daily basis.
Q: Do you have a story that touched you when helping the hungry?
A: I once delivered pans of spanakopita to a senior center, whose cook was from Guatemala, spoke little English and I speak little Spanish. She had no idea of the product and asked me to explain. I thought long and finally said, Empanadas. Every time thereafter she wanted more spanakopita as her clients had never experienced that quality of food.
Q: How does working with a company like Serendipity Catering help
the program?
A: Working with Serendipity allows We Don't Waste to increase the amount of food distributed; reduces the amount of waste generated by Serendipity and results in less methane gas being emitted from the landfill, while allowing our recipient agencies to save 10 to 15 percent annually on their food budgets.
Q: Any ideas on how individuals can help the hungry?
A: Constantly monitoring the amount of food purchased as against how must food is consumed. Promote food security by introducing friends and family the incredible amount of food that is wasted in this country-upwards of 40% annually.
