Stories From The Field
Why Food Rescue Collaborative Exists: Real World Cases
Most of us know the numbers around food rescue and hunger. Research shows that 42 million people in the United States (1 in 8), including 13 million children (1 in 6), may experience food insecurity in 2021. It’s easy to distance ourselves from this data and feel less urgency about numbers than we do about the people these numbers represent. Here are some stories from the field that illustrate barriers to feeding people using the limited tools (email and phone calls) currently available.
$60,000 of produce is destroyed after 12 hours trying to rescue it
A shipment of premium produce was rejected and would not survive the trip back to the West Coast with enough shelf life remaining. Six local agencies tried - and failed - to salvage the produce.
Rescuing 2,400 pounds of frozen chicken in less than 24 hours
The process of getting “free” food to where it can be consumed by people in need can be a complicated one. Let’s consider a recent call from Jay-Ell Meats, a major Boston-based food manufacturer and distributor.