FIND Food Bank rescues food from turning into waste
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, food waste in America is estimated between 30-40% of the food supply. In an effort to keep nutritious food out of the dumpster, FIND Food Bank is rescuing what can’t be sold at grocery stores and serving it up for those in need.
“We collect the food, whether it’s a torn package or the food just may not be the most attractive for the folks that are paying for it, and we’ll take that,” said Director of Corporate Affairs at Ralphs, John Votava. “It can be wilted, and we can turn it into wonderful, with help from folks like FIND.”
Truck drivers from FIND Food Bank are in charge of rescuing food that doesn’t always meet the standard of a customer paying full price but can still provide nutrition.
“At the food bank, we sort it out and make sure it’s still within food safety regulations so that we can distribute it to the community that’s in need,” said Community Relations Coordinator with FIND, Yessy Teran.
“It makes no sense to send food to the landfill, when one out of five people don’t know where their next meal’s coming from,” said store manager at Ralphs in Palm Desert, Mark Anthony. He explains it’s also a matter of resource conservation, making sure the money, labor, and water that goes into growing food is protected.
Last year, Ralphs and Food For Less donated more than a quarter million pounds of food to FIND Food Bank, providing 200,000 meals to the community and keeping that food out of the trash.
