How Do I Get Started Connecting Perishable Surplus Food From
Restaurants with Caring Agencies? (K12FoodRescue.com Starts on PG. 14)
Introduction
Thank you for inquiring about Food Rescue. While 40% of our food is wasted, only
about 4-8% of all restaurant waste at the kitchen level is thrown out, and some
claim it as low as 1%. Over many years, Food Rescue has learned the policies of
many national restaurants, and it is our desire to pass along what we have learned
to inspire people around the country to serve their local caring agencies by
acquiring perishable surplus food from restaurants on their behalf. Here you will
find some basic pointers and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Food Rescue
is a Not for Profit logistics company that provides information, mentoring, and
training to concerned citizens on how to connect perishable surplus food from
restaurants with caring agencies. We mentor people around the country about
which restaurants to approach first, and how to approach a restaurant about the
possibility of donating their daily surplus food that often is overlooked in our food
chain. When citizens succeed, we share their stories via social media, blogging, and
our website. We also purchase small freezers for restaurants to address food safety
concerns.
You can partner with any and all food establishments for food donations, but you
will need to establish a relationship with a 501c3 Not for Profit caring
agency in your city first that will receive perishable food and sign for the food if
necessary. Without such a partnership, stores will not give you their nightly food
waste to deliver to a food pantry.
FOOD RESCUE - GENERAL
What is My First Step to connect surplus food from restaurants and local
caring agencies?
Step # 1: Seek a caring agency partner. Food banks in general are not wild about
receiving “perishable foods” like bread, pre-made pizzas, etc. You must find an
organization that has the ability to either package and store the food in a freezer,
or to get the food in people’s stomachs immediately. While you may end up
assisting in acquiring volunteers for the agency, it is best for you to support their
volunteer efforts, rather than establish a volunteer organization of your own.
Ask them about their food safety/handling standards, and if they comply with Safe
Serve guidelines. Without this caring agency partner, it is almost impossible to
succeed. It is critical to understand that you represent that agency partner rather
than Food Rescue, as it represents a chance to connect the restaurant with the
people and the agency in the community.
Once I find a Caring Agency Partner, What is Next?
Step #2-4: Utilize Informational Materials Found in This Document to Seek Surplus
Food From Restaurants

Use the store list provided that indicates restaurants around the country that
are friendly to food recovery to find out what restaurants might be willing to
partner with the agency you select.

Call the store, or walk in and speak to an employee. Better yet, eat a meal
and then ask to speak to a manager. Ask some of the questions noted in
the FAQ.
a. Ask if they throw out any of their food at the end of the day
b. If the answer is “yes,” ask if the food could instead be packaged up
and made available for a volunteer to pickup and transport to a local
food pantry or shelter. Motivations for the store:
i. Moral
ii. Tax advantages – generally the cost of ingredients plus half of the lost
profits can be deducted, up to 2 times the cost basis; local state laws
may provide additional benefits
iii. Good PR
c. If there are safety or lack of quantity concerns, offer to purchase a 3x3
freezer on their behalf, (provided by Food Rescue) to alleviate both concerns.

If they are willing to donate, verify:
a. What day(s) are available?
b. What is the best time the pickups need to occur?
c. If they can provide packaging for the food. Asking volunteers to bring
their own bags will add a potentially prohibitive inconvenience. If they
demand the agency provide packaging, check with the agency about
the feasibility of the agency providing the packaging. Most of time
restaurants provide the packaging, as the tax benefits far outweigh the
cost of zip lock bags.
d. What information and paperwork, if any, they require in order for
pickups to begin – e.g. organization name, EIN, contact name,
number, liability waiver
e. Connect your partner agency with the restaurant. Describe to the
agency exactly what the food is, the fact that it is perishable, and that
it must be either distributed or frozen immediately.
f. Allow the agency to work out the pick-up times and dates, and just
follow up and make sure the details were finalized.
g. If it is a restaurant that works with Food Donation Connection, reach
out to them at foodtodonate.com, and let them know you have a
connection for them to follow up on, and that you would be willing to
assist in making the connection.
h. Ask for cell phone pictures of the pick-ups from volunteers, and have
them send you a text. Go to FoodRescue.net, and click on the Post a
Picture Link. http://www.foodrescue.net/post-a-food-rescue, and we
will place them on our website, social media sites, and blog. You can
also text a picture to 317-694-4006
Questions to Ask the Restaurants
Food Rescue provides a list of restaurants that have a history of working with
caring agencies, and we suggest starting with those restaurants first. Ask if they
currently work with a caring agency to preserve their surplus food?
Ask if they are aware their corporation supports food recovery?
Ask if caring agencies can pick up surplus food at a given location on an agreed
upon day?
If they indicate they do not have enough waste, ask them if they had a 3x3
freezer, if they would be willing to place their surplus food in a freezer, and
have the food picked up once or twice a week if at the expense of Food
Rescue?
Ask them if they are aware of enhanced tax deductions for donating food instead of
throwing it out?
Ask them if they are aware that the 1996 Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Law
provides store owners legal protections when they donate their food? Show them
photos from around the country if necessary.
Other Frequently Asked Questions About Food Rescue
Am I a Food Rescue Volunteer?
No. You are a volunteer on behalf of your partner agency you locate.
Will Food Rescue Help Me?
Food Rescue will mentor you, purchase freezers, and provide educational materials,
but you are serving your caring agency as a volunteer in the end.
Aren’t business owners concerned about liability?
There are Good Samaritan laws to protect businesses. Many food banks or caring
agencies will also sign a liability waiver, if necessary.
RECIPIENT ORGANIZATIONS
How do I find a recipient organization?
Use the internet to its fullest capacity. Google searches, non-profit databases, your
city or county’s website can all turn up potential recipients. Call local churches and
faith based organizations to see if they work with any food pantries or food banks,
or perhaps run one themselves.
Why won’t some food banks respond to my emails and phone calls?
The truth is that the vast majority of non-profit organizations are overworked and
understaffed. Even if they would jump at the chance to receive the food, your
message may have been lost, or fell too far down in the never-ending pile of
important tasks. Persistence and patience can get you an answer from them. And
when the hungry are fed, it is worth it in the end.
Step #5: Small Beginnings:
Start with one or two days a week at one restaurant. There are some great places
to start! Their first question will always be who do you represent? It's important
that you identify the caring agency, not Food Rescue. Before you seek the
donation, you must have the support of the caring agency, and they must be able
to receive the product. It makes no sense to attempt to acquire perishable food, if
it cannot be safely preserved, and faithfully and picked up by the agency you are
connecting them with.
Step #6: Tell Your Story:
Almost every restaurant we have ever connected with a caring agency is the result of someone at the
restaurant sharing our story. Food Rescue will mentor you every step of the way on how to get your story
out in the community you are serving.
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS BELOW: PAGES 5-14
Introductory Letter to a Restaurant on a First Visit:
Address:
Phone:
Website:
Email:
Introduction:
Hi, my name is ______________________, and I am a volunteer for _________________.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to talk with you about our program (organization).
Purpose:
"1-6 are hungry, 40 % of our food is wasted, let's fix it" is our motto. We have been inspired by
an organization in Indianapolis, Indiana called Food Rescue, who has scheduled over 1 million
meals to be rescued annually since 2007.
With Food Rescue's help, we would love to buy your store a 3 x 3 deep freezer and join to
together to make a difference in this growing problem in America. Food Rescue currently
partners with:
Current Restaurant Partners:

The NY Slice, City Barbeque, Charleston's, Texas Roadhouse, Panera Bread , Paradise Bakery,
Great Harvest Bread, Bella Pizzeria, Big Apple Bagel, Little Caesars Pizza, Einstein Bagels ,City
Barbeque ,Marsh ,Kroger, Cravens and Hubbard, and Boston Market
Food Recovery practices are also embraced by:

Bob Evans, Papa John's , Darden: (Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Longhorn, Steakhouse, Red
Lobster ) Taco Bell, Auntie Annes, Long John Silver's, Capital Grill, KFC, Famous Dave's Barbeque,
Cheesecake Factory, Pizza Hut. and many others.
Thank you for your consideration in advance. Please consider supporting _________________through
the safe donations of your surplus food to feed children and families in need in our community.
Best Regards,
Caring Agency Screening:
1) Are they safe serve trained?
2) Do they have freezers or refrigerators?
3) Do they serve food "soup kitchen" style?
4) Do they have volunteers to pick up food regularly?
5) Agencies must agree to either freeze food immediately, or heat it and serve it immediately.
Restaurants do not want agencies it take their perishable food and put it in the refrigerator.
Either freeze it or heat it up and serve it that day.
6) If they are not Safe Serve trained, you must know their food safety and food handling
guidelines, so the restaurants can be assured their product will be handled safely and correctly,
and presented in a very respectful manner.
The Food Rescue Freezer Program
In partnership with Lowes, Food Rescue is able to purchase a 3 x 3 five cubic foot
deep freezer for $151 to encourage restaurants to preserve their moderate daily
food waste on behalf of children and families in need who utilize food pantries.
The freezer addresses both food safety and quantity concerns related to taking the
time to preserve moderate daily food waste rather than discard it.
By providing your store with a 3 x 3 deep freeze to begin participating in food
recovery safely, we can partner together to feed children and families in need in
the community immediately, safely, and with pick-ups scheduled at convenient
times.
Our investment in a $151 freezer and your willingness to preserve your nightly
surplus food could yield the following sample results:
* City Barbeque: 4,333 meals rescued per year:
** Little Caesars: 15,000 meals per year:
*** Charleston's: 4,333 meals per year:
**** Texas Roadhouse: 4,333 meals per year:
***** Bella Pizzeria: 1,300 meals per year:
* City Barbeque figures based on 100 lbs. per week: 1.2 pounds per meal
** Little Caesars figures based on 70 pizzas per week, 2 pieces of pizza per meal
*** Char Charleston's figures based on 100 lbs. per week: 1.2 pounds per meal
****Texas Roadhouse figures based on 100 lbs. per week: 1.2 pounds per meal
*****Bella Pizzeria figures based on 25 meals per week, 2 pieces of pizza per meal
3 cents per meal
1 cent per meal
3 cents per meal
3 cents per meal
10 cents per meal
Income Tax Benefits for Food Donations
In August 2006, President Bush signed the Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Act which was
included as part of the Pension Protection Act (Public Law 109-280). The act allows any business that
donates food to a caring agency to potentially deduct up to twice the basis of the food donated. Your
donation would be a Qualified Contribution to a caring agency that is a 501c3 not for profit business, and
you would be able to deduct the cost of food donated plus one half of your unrealized gain for each
donation in most cases. Internal Revenue Code Section 170(e)(3) provides the details of this special
deduction. We urge you to contact your tax professional to explore this benefit.
What About My Liability?
It makes all kinds of sense to donate surplus and perishable food to people who are hungry. It
also makes sense that well-meaning donors may be concerned about liability. The good news is
that legislation provides uniform national protection to citizens, businesses, and non-profit
organizations that act in good faith to donate, recover, and distribute excess food.
In 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. The act
promotes food recovery by limiting the liability of donors to instances of gross negligence or intentional
misconduct. Furthermore, the act says that in absence of these, neither the food donors nor Food Rescue
can be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of
apparently wholesome food or apparently fit grocery products received as donations.
Congress recognized that providing food to its recommended date or sale is, in and of itself, not grounds
for finding gross negligence. You may legally donate food that is marked close to code date for retail sale.
The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act also establishes basic nationwide uniform
definitions pertaining to donation and distribution of nutritious foods, and helps assure that donated foods
meet all federal, state and local laws and regulations for food quality and labeling standards.
In summary, this Act:
 Protects you from liability when you donate food in good faith to Food Rescue
 Protects you from both civil and criminal liability should a product be donated in good faith later
harm a person in need.
 Allows liability only for gross negligence or international misconduct in the donation of food items
In addition, according to Indiana law, ‘A person in good faith makes a gift of a food item to a
charitable entity is not liable for civil damages arising from the use, condition, quality or content
of that food item, unless the damages are the result of that person’s intentional, knowing, or
reckless misconduct.’
Please consider the tax benefit of your food donation in helping our community.
Thank you,
* above liability and tax information provided by Second Helpings Inc in Indianapolis
Sample FAQ's from a typical restaurant owner or franchise owner. We use Mcalisters as
an example only. Insert the name of the restaurant you are meeting with and call it the
"XYZ company cares program"
MCALISTER'S CARES PRGRAM FAQ'S
1. Will a caring agency receiving rescued food sign a liability waiver?
In most instances, yes, however, in the long run the slim risk of a lawsuit in most cases come
from the end user of the food pantry, rather than the food pantry.
2. Do the Good Samaritan Laws mean a food establishment cannot have a lawsuit brought
against them?
No, anyone can sue anyone in our country, however, the standards to be found guilty are very
high due to the Good Samaritan Laws that lawsuits are infrequent and rarely successful.
When weighing the good public relations, caring in the community, and tax advantages
against the odds of a lawsuit, the benefits of giving far outweigh the risk.
3. Are Safe Serve Guidelines followed?
There are no guarantees volunteers will be trained with Safe Serve Guidelines, however,
Mcalister's can guarantee they do not give any bags of food away to a volunteer that does not
have a cooler. Volunteers will sign a sheet promising to deliver the food to the agreed upon
caring agency and place the bags in a freezer within 2 hours. This will insure the food will not
be in a temperature between 40 and 140 degrees for longer than 2 hours. Since the
volunteers are not handling the food inside the bag, and since the food will be picked up in a
rock solid frozen condition, these are very high food handling standards for volunteers.
4. How many days per week will volunteers pick up?
With a Food Rescue 3 x 3 freezer, once a week may be all that is necessary, however, if more
pick-ups are needed, the caring agencies will respond to that need.
5. Will your caring agency acknowledge the food donations for tax purposes?
The assigned caring agency will acknowledge the total food donations. At the end of the
year, each store may issue one receipt totaling all of the pick-ups for the year. The director of
the assigned caring agency will sign and date the tax receipt and return it where the store
would like it to be returned before taxes are due. A 3 ring binder or spiral notebook can track
the donations and be given to a corporate accountant each fiscal year. The caring agency will
provide the sample template for tracking, but a franchise might want to design their own to
meet their own tracking needs.
6. What if there someone became ill and went to the media? Wouldn't that put our franchise in
a bad light? We believe the answer is No. Many franchises have weighed this question and
determined that if this ever happened, it would place the company in a good light and
essentially be free media coverage for their company. An opportunity to look into a camera
and explain the compassion the company has for the poor in the community would most likely
lead to an increased customer base, rather than a decreased customer based. Socially
conscious business is good business.
7. Can you promise nothing bad will ever happen, or that every volunteer will do what they are
asked and what they agree to? No. This is a human endeavor, and we are all flawed. If a
volunteer is willing to use their own gas near $4 per gallon to serve the hungry in their
community, it sets a pretty high bar related to their character that insures the food will reach
it's intended destination.
8. How did you establish a relationship with the caring agency we will be working with?
Refer to the food pantry/caring agency screening process.
9. How would Mcalister's Cares compare to Panera Breads end of the day "doughnation"
program or Chipotles Harvest program through Food Donation Connection? Panera Bread has a
full time employee that they hire to receive online requests from 5013 not for profits, and then
that employee schedules the new recipient at the corporate level and contacts the local cafe.
Chipotle uses a for profit company called Food Donation Connection that they pay a percentage of
their overall tax savings. Food Donation Connection oversees the accounting of the transactions
and provides bags, containers, other assistance along the way. In short, one company handles the
transactions in house, and one contracts the tracking of the transactions to an outside agency.
10. How are you compensated? We represent the caring agency as a volunteer. They are a not
for profit 501c3 business, and require no compensation or gift to form a partnership to feed
children and families with extra food.
11. What are the benefits of perishable food donation to our company?
1. It feels good to feed children and families in need, as it is morally the right thing to do to
save food for those in need, instead of wasting it.
2. Enormous tax savings.
3. Community Relations
4. Legal Protections (1996 Good Samaritan Laws)
Sample Procedures for a Pizza Franchise:
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LITTLE CAESARS OWNERS ONLY, OWNER OF ALL OF THE
LITTLE CAESARS FRANCHISES INVOLVED
1) Inform the managers of new procedures when you are ready for the organizations to begin pickups.
2) Have a Spiral bound notebook in every store to note # of pizzas and date they are picked up. Sign in
as "Volunteers name and Food Rescue or the caring agency receiving the pizza.
3) Expired Pizzas to the back fridge area. Date each one with black Sharpie. Morning shift employees
should be ready to give them to the organization when they come in and ask for them.
4) Throw pizzas out after 48 hours in case anybody doesn't show up one day, which happens since we are
dealing with volunteers. Never give away a pizza in the fridge longer than 48 hrs.
5) Safe Serve guidelines indicate it will keep for 4 days in a fridge when covered, but we prefer to be
conservative on 48 hours. When frozen, refrigerated pre cooked pizza lasts well over a month.
6) Expect glitches the first month as volunteers and employees get used to the new procedures, but it will
run like clockwork after that.
7) Give the spiral bound notebook to your accountant at the end of the year and put him to work.
8) At the end of the year, send the Food Pantry, caring agency, or Food Rescue a receipt and ask them to
sign it, matching the total in the book.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOOD PANTRIES: PROCEDURES:
1) Show up daily between 10 AM and 11 AM, or whatever the manager or owner wants, and sign for
them with your name, date, and Food Rescue on a spiral bound notebook.
2) Say that you are here with Food Rescue or the caring agency you are serving to pick up donations.
3) I HIGHLY recommend calling first and saying you are on your way. It will save a trip if for some
reason there were only say 2 expired pizzas for some odd reason.
4) Take the pizzas to the recipient agency and freeze them immediately. They shouldn't remain in Little
Caesars fridges for more than 48 hours total. If frozen at Little Caesars in a freezer, they can remain
frozen for much longer. DO NOT leave the pizzas in temperatures of 40 to 140 for more than 2 hours.
5) Thank the managers. If there are no pizzas or very few pizzas for any reason, do NOT be rude, or
criticize the manager for any reason. Remain thankful at all times.
RESCUED FOOD EXAMPLES
Caring Agencies Food Rescue Connected With
Restaurants
300
232
250
207
182
200
136
150
152
# of Agencies
86
100
50
1
0
'08
'09
'10
'11
'12
'13
'14
Meals Food Rescue Has Scheduled To
Be Rescued That Recur Annually
1,800,000
1,542,583
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
909,632
1,000,000
607,944
800,000
# of Meals
556,733
600,000
399,304
400,000
200,000
56,525
0
'08
'09
'10
'11
'12
'13
Stores Food Rescue Connected With
Caring Agencies
300
244
250
200
152
150
# of Stores
100
50
48
50
75
72
16
0
'08
'09
Continued on Page 15
'10
'11
'12
'13
'14
K-12 FOOD RESCUE STARTER KIT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oiuapkrky_w
Tips & Tricks for Food Recovery in Schools
South Madison Community School Corporation / Food Rescue





Contact your local health department to ensure they are aware of what you are doing and know
that you are taking proper precautions to ensure already served food does not get back into the
food supply.
Keep all foods saved for Food Rescue pickup in a separate area of walk in coolers, freezers, and
dry storage. Mark the area “Food Rescue Items Only” and train staff that no food should be
taken from this area.
Keep a log form to ensure accountability that you know what food is going out. This information
is INVALUABLE in assessing what children are actually consuming. Collect the forms each week
from Managers so you can assess the data.
Set up a window with the caring agency/volunteer that works for your staff.
Ideas for collecting and storing food:
o Pre-packaged items from the front of house (food items the children purchased but did
not eat or open)
 Keep bins in the dining room to collect items. Make sure cold items are moved
into storage throughout lunch to ensure proper temperature is held.
o Bulk food from the back of house/kitchen (pizza, casseroles, sauces, etc)
 In order to minimize the purchasing of pans or trading of containers, we use the
following system:
 Cover a steamtable pan with a bun pan bag (plastic bag large enough)
 Pour leftover food into bag, inside pan
 Freeze
 Lift out bag and give to volunteer!
Questions?
Feel free to contact Lindsey Hill, Director of Nutrition Services
South Madison Community School Corporation
lhill@smcsc.com
765-778-2152 x1015
Continued on Page 16
SMCSC Nutrition Services/Food Rescue
Tracking Log
For the week of: __________________
use)
Item
Description
Date
Prepared
Date
Frozen
(back of
house
leftovers
only)
(back of
house
leftovers
only)
(for SMCSC Nutrition Services dept
Expiration
Date
(cold items
that require
refrigeration)
Quantity
Pick-up
Date
Cereal
Graham
Crackers
Alpha
cookies
Juice Box
String
Cheese
Yogurt
Bagel
Juice Cup
Milk
Goldfish
crackers
Tortilla
Chips
http://archive.rgj.com/article/20120508/NEWS20/305080001/Fact-Checker-Must-schools-throwout-leftoversAs it turns out, not only doesn’t the federal government outlaw schools from donating food, it actively
encourages the distribution of leftover food.
As an example, U.S. Representative Bob Latta, R-Ohio, sent out letters in December to principals in his district
that said:
“Currently, many school districts do not donate excess food out of concern that they are not covered under the
Good Samaritan Act, which protects donors who give to food banks in good faith from all liability. However,
Representative Frank Wolf, R-Va., inserted language into the Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations bill that funds the
Department of Agriculture to amend the national school lunch program and address this issue. Representative
Wolf’s provision ensures that schools are covered under the Good Samaritan Act from all liability and it was
codified when the legislation was signed into law on Nov. 18, 2011.”
The letter continues: “As a result of this clarification, each school and local educational agency participating in
the school lunch program may donate any food not consumed under the school lunch program to eligible local
food banks or charitable organizations. This long overdue, common-sense change will allow schools to boost
the inventory of food pantries at a time when donations are greatly needed.”
Schools all over are starting to take advantage, sometimes even at the behest of students and their parents.
For example, Heather Morrison has two children attending Longfellow Elementary School in Long Beach, Calif.
She was profiled last month in the Press-Telegram newspaper.
The story said, “Morrison also worked out a way to donate leftover cold food, including milk containers and fruit
cups, to the local Food Finders food bank. ... The school donates about 40 pounds of cold food each day, she
said.”
Word has not filtered out to all school districts, though. Fact Checker contacted Washoe County School District
to find out its policy.
It does not throw out untampered-with packaged food as mentioned in Fascio’s letter, said the district’s Victoria
Campbell.
Unused and unexpired packaged food is restocked and put out again later, cold products, such as milk, are
saved too unless expired or not maintained at the proper temperature, but hot prepared foods are tossed at the
end of the serving time, she said.
St. Vincent’s food pantry and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada were contacted to see if they could use the
leftover hot food, and neither is set up to take it, although Tony Macaluso with the Washoe County Health
District said such food could be donated if it’s transported at a safe temperature.
Scott Cooksley at St. Vincent’s said the district is doing good work: “They’re feeding a lot of kids who otherwise
wouldn’t be eating.”
He said leftover hot food from schools, casinos and restaurants could be used at dining halls for those in need
but that it would take a fair amount of work to pull off.
“Another option is to contact local farms to use it for livestock. People running farms save money on feed. And
it’s possible the business could write it off,” Cooksley said. “From my standpoint at the end of the day, if we’re
feeding leftovers to livestock raised for food, everybody wins.”
Except the cows and pigs.
“There’s always someone who says that,” Cooksley said.
The verdict
Federal law does not ban school districts from donating excess food.
Continued to page 18
SAMPLE EMAILTO SCHOOL ADMINSTRATORS: YOU CAN ALMOST COPY PASTE IT WITH A FEW
LINKS AND MINOR EDITING TO MATCH YOUR GEOGRAPHY.
Dear HSE Administrators and friends,
Westfield, Carmel, Noblesville, and Hamilton Heights schools have all adopted K-12 Food Rescue due to recent
laws that have been changed federally, and governmental support for schools donating surplus perishable food to
local caring agencies feeding children and families in need. (see pictures attached).
In 2012, the United States government changed laws to encourage schools to donate their surplus food. The
government even encourages schools to share their stories about how they reduce their food waste through food
recovery on the USDA website, and it is encouraged on the EPA website as well. These new laws mirror the 1996
Good Samaritan laws, and the articles below verify these initiatives. There are simply no more legal barriers or
governmental concerns or prohibitions. It is in fact the opposite, where it is now promoted.
Article 1 http://blogs.usda.gov/2014/08/26/creative-solutions-to-ending-school-food-waste/
Article 2 http://archive.rgj.com/article/20120508/NEWS20/305080001/Fact-Checker-Must-schools-throw-outleftoversIf you have 4 minutes, please view this K-12 Food Rescue video from South Madison Schools
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oiuapkrky_w
that demonstrates the entire program. It features the state president of the Indiana Director's of Nutrition
Association, who approved and initiated the program. Food Rescue will be speaking at their state convention in late
October to offer the program to all schools in the state of Indiana. Muncie Community Schools will be starting
October 28th as well, and Eastern Howard County after that.
It is my hope that all Hamilton County schools will be remembered as the leaders in this program that will surely be
adopted state wide, and lead to all states adopting food recovery policies in their schools to help protect our
environment and make better use of surplus perishable food.
To be clear, we do not waste food in America because we are "sacrificial". None of the schools are promoting or
encouraging sacrifice. The "share" table continues to exist at all participating schools, but our program simply
provides a better solution for the food than throwing it in the trash can, something all the school systems we are
working with acknowledge happens every day, and the attached pictures back that up. Our partners are WRCC food
pantry, Grace Care Center, OLMC Merciful HELP Center, The Stilts Giving Tree, and all of their satellite food
panties in Hamilton County they work with. They come directly to the schools to pick up the food on a schedule
that is convenient for the schools.
40% of our food is wasted in America, and it emits methane gas from landfills that is many times more harmful to
our environment than CO2. And of course 1 in 6 in America (1 in 20 in Hamilton County) are food insecure.
We can help fix this problem together. Please contact me to learn more about the program and how to get HSE
schools connected with a caring agency to pick up surplus food perishable food.
Best Regards,
K12FoodRescue.com
https://www.facebook.com/FoodRescueInc
https://twitter.com/Food_Rescue