IMPACT REPORT JANUARY 2019 – JUNE 2020
Food Rescue US works to end hunger and food waste throughout America. Using a software powered, volunteer driven logistics platform, Food Rescue US provides for the food insecure while keeping excess food out of landfills.
STAFF Carol Shattuck Chief Executive Officer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Britton Jones President
Melissa Spiesman Vice President, National Site Director
Carol Shattuck Chief Executive Officer
Jim Reesman Chief Technology Officer (Volunteer) Jennifer Guhl Director, Development & Marketing Alena Murphy Business Manager Laurie Jones Director, Special Projects (Volunteer) Bethany Simmonds Associate, Development & Marketing
Robbyn Footlick Secretary Jim Bottiglieri Treasurer Jes Bengtson Jim Kirsch Bruce Koe Buddy Kretzman John Popa Jim Reesman Bill Taibe
Helping to End Hunger and Food Waste in America
When we first imagined this Impact Report, it was going to be a summary of our work during 2019. As we started to put it together, COVID-19 began to make its impact felt and it soon became apparent that it would have a long-lasting impact on our world, the United States, and also on Food Rescue US. So, we decided to make this an eighteen-month report that also includes the first 6 months of 2020 covering our COVID-19 response. It has been, quite frankly, both an incredibly demanding but impactful six months of work for us. BUT FIRST 2019. LAST YEAR WAS A YEAR OF GROWTH FOR US. •F eeding the Food Insecure: In 2019, 32,956 individual food rescues were completed, an increase of 32% that were powered through our proprietary software. The number of meals that were delivered to social service agencies increased by 11% over 2018. •R educing Food Waste and Protecting our Environment: We kept more than 9 million pounds of food waste out of landfills where it would have decomposed and contributed to global warming. This is the equivalent of approximately 17,100, 200lbs of CO2 or the amount of emissions from burning over 850,000 gallons of gasoline. •E xpanding our Footprint: We launched 5 new locations in 4 states, nearly a 40% increase. • Activating and Inspiring Volunteers: We ended 2019 with 7,500 active volunteers. These are individuals who understand that by giving as little as 30 minutes of their time they can help people in need in their own communities. •U tilizing Technology for Good: We spent much of 2019 developing the third generation of our app that will launch in 2020. This will help propel our continued expansion, improve metrics and reporting capabilities, and upgrade the app’s overall functionality. COVID-19 RESPONSE So while 2019 was a very busy year, nothing could have prepared us for the demands of responding to the millions of people impacted by COVID-19. With our proven platform, we were able to quickly pivot to add new emergency programs that would bring more food/meals into the donation mix. We needed financial donors to step-up to make these programs a reality, both in the short and long term, and thankfully our donors, both existing and new, responded. We are so grateful for your support! We now have Restaurant Meal Programs, Community Kitchens, and Farm Distribution Programs operational all around the country. These three programs have turned out to be highly effective and impactful ways to go deep into a community to bring meals to those in need, including children, seniors, families, and those that are homeless. The tragedy is that we are continuing to find new pockets of need everyday, including those facing food insecurity for the first time. We will continue to respond to the COVID-19 demands. Thank you for sharing in our commitment to end hunger and food waste and provide for those in need during this critical time. Sincerely,
Carol Shattuck, Chief Executive Officer
Britton Jones, Executive Chairman, Board of Directors
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Food Rescue US provides the platform to enable individuals and organizations to serve their communities in reducing food waste and hunger using our best in class technology. A leader in food recovery since 2011, we have a proven track record of impact and the ability to scale nationally. 33 LOCATIONS IN 20 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 5 NEW LOCATIONS IN 2019
*States in orange represent where our network currently operates.
“ We view Food Rescue US as one of the leaders in the movement to increase the recovery and redistribution of good food to social service agencies that help nourish our food insecure neighbors. General Mills is so grateful for the vital and inspiring work of Food Rescue US.” NICOLA DIXON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GENERAL MILLS FOUNDATION, FOOD RESCUE US FUNDER
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FOOD RESCUE US
IN 2019... 7,549,180 Meals delivered
9,059,016
Pounds of fresh food rescued 11% increase from 2018
32,956
Rescues completed 32% increase over 2018
Our model provides fresh, healthy rescued meals at no cost to recipients, alleviating a major stress and burden in the lives of the food insecure, while helping the environment at the same time. As of June 2020, our network currently includes:
1,438
Food donors 33% increase from 2018
7,500
Volunteer food rescuers 34% increase from 2018
980
Social service agencies 26% increase from 2018
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COVID-19 The impact of COVID-19 has hit food insecure individuals and families particularly hard. Recent surveys found that about 23% of American households were struggling to buy enough food and for households with children, this figure jumps to 35%.
With the onset of COVID-19, Food Rescue US saw our social service agency partners with increased demands and food donors with less to donate due to reduced hours and closures. With food insecurity needs rising everyday, social service agencies are being stretched due to limited resources. To address this, Food Rescue US pivoted to find creative solutions to address the evolving needs. During this time, we have continued to rescue excess food, including recovering excess produce & products directly from farms and individual food providers. We also launched emergency programs, including Community Kitchens, Restaurant Meals Programs, and Farm Distribution Programs, to help increase the number of individual meals we are able to provide to our social service agency partners. All of our locations have been able to increase their impact. The work happening around the country is truly inspiring. COMMUNITY KITCHEN PROGRAM We are partnering with restaurants, corporations, and food service personnel to prepare meals that are then distributed by our volunteers to those that are food insecure. These kitchens allow us to reopen restaurants, hire back staff, and make healthy chef prepared meals that are free for any person in need. RESTAURANT MEAL PROGRAM Through our Restaurant Meal Program, we purchase meals from local restaurants that our volunteers then deliver to local agency partners. This not only provides fresh, healthy meals for the growing number of people impacted by COVID-19 but also supports local restaurants that may be at risk of closing. FARM DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM Food Rescue US has been connecting with farms across the country and coordinating massive rescues of food from farms that have been left with a surplus of food due to COVID-19. Working in partnership with the Farm Link Project and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Farm Distribution Program has enabled us to distribute excess produce, dairy, and protein (meat) and develop long-term relationships with farmers and distributors to recover from them on a national scale.
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FOOD RESCUE US
“ I have seen the impact a single rescue makes and truly believe this is an easy way for everyone to help make a difference. I’ve been inspired by the mission resulting in a wonderful journey reaching 600 rescues.”
AMIRA MANTOURA, VOLUNTEER FOOD RESCUER, FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CT
Since the pandemic began...
182
194
855
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New food donor partners
New social service agency partners
New volunteer food rescuers
New Food Rescue US locations
10
9
2.3M
466,250
Restaurant meal programs
Photo: TJ Samuels
Community kitchens
Meals with a value of $3,800,000
pounds of USDA produce distributed
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2019 FINANCIALS Revenue Donated Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14,675,606 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $278,926 Individuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $247,049 Institutional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $363,007 Expenses Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,130,488 Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $136,668 Fundraising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $106,981
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FOOD RESCUE US
For every dollar spent in 2019, we delivered
11 meals
The meals we provided had an overall value of
$14,675,606
“ The relationship between Food Rescue US and Charlie’s Place, a feeding program for the homeless and those in need, began in May 2017 by our chef and kitchen coordinator at the time. Since then, our relationship has grown and is truly an amazing experience. The amount of money it has saved our program is unbelievable and the healthy, delicious meals they have provided have saved the day more times than we can count. REGGIE COX, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHARLIE’S PLACE, D.C. SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY
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8 FOOD RESCUE US Photo: TJ Samuels
“ Waste Less Solutions has been affiliated with Food Rescue US since we first started in Dec 2017 and has been an amazing partner for us. The staff is always there to support our growth and have been amazing partners as we try and build a more structured volunteer program. We have been able to scale our growth due to the app and its ability to manage the rescues for us. Through the app, we have been able to rescue over 300,000 lbs of excess food in Salt Lake City.”
DANA WILLIAMSON, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, WASTE LESS SOLUTIONS,
FOOD RESCUE US LICENSEE
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Photo: TJ Samuels
BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION Donate to Food Rescue US Help us end hunger and food waste Visit our website or contact us to learn about donating your excess food, receiving excess food, or becoming a volunteer food rescuer. CONNECT WITH US info@foodrescue.us
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