Food Waste Reduction
Number of Pounds
of Food Rescued in 2024
That’s weight equivalent to:
38.25 blue whales
or 425 school buses
Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Reduction in 2024
That’s a reduction equivalent to CO2 emissions from:
2.8 million gallons of gas consumed
or
28.2 million pounds of coal burned
That’s equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions avoided by:
7.6 wind turbines running for a year
or
2.1 million trash bags recycled vs. landfilled
Our Programs
Food Rescue
Our Food Rescue operation supports all our meal programming while simultaneously reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Each year, we rescue millions of wholesome food destined for landfills. Our staff captures food from large chains such as Amazon, Reichel Foods, Target, Cub, Walmart, and Starbucks, to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, local stores, eateries, farms, manufacturers, distributors, schools, and beyond.
No food donation is too small to make a difference. Whether it’s a single chicken or a hundred pallets of poultry, we are committed to rescuing every bit of edible surplus that we come across.
Cooking For All
Our Cooking For All curriculum was developed to educate staff, volunteers, meal partners, students, youth groups, and more on how to cook while incorporating low-waste cooking techniques. These classes take place in-person at our Commissary Kitchens and are also available virtually.
The negative effects of food insecurity often become generational. Our Cooking For All curriculum provides individuals with an opportunity to learn a necessary life skill that they may not have had the chance to learn otherwise.
After viewing any of the videos below, please complete the survey at this link. If you are viewing these videos in preparation for volunteering with us, we recommend completing the survey after your volunteer shift. This survey helps us improve the Cooking For All curriculum and overall volunteer experience, so we greatly appreciate your feedback!
Please note that you do not need to watch all eight videos to complete the survey. If you return to watch additional videos at a later date, feel free to complete the survey again based on those sections of the Cooking For All curriculum.