Thanks to the volunteers at the Epworth United Methodist Church food rescue operation, who have been helping the hungry for over a decade. We learned about them at our last Green Drinks gathering.
They have teamed up with grocery stores and restaurants to rescue perfectly good food from the landfill dump. For example, fruits and vegetables are often tossed to make room for the delivery of new, fresher veggies, and the same with some milk/dairy products.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds of this wonderful food is now saved for those who are food insecure thanks to the grocery stores and rescue volunteers who bring these goodies to the church for distribution to needy recipients.
The grocery stores and other donors are specifically protected by the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act in case anyone suggests that the donated food was unacceptable. The stores also get a tax deduction at the same time that they avoid having to pay someone to haul these groceries to the dump and pay the dumping fee.
It is a win-win-win for the food donors. It is shocking that more food stores and restaurants have not yet signed up to join these good guys.
Perhaps this could be their New Year’s Resolution - save money, get a tax deduction and save food for the poor.
Helpers, especially those who have access to a pickup truck, are needed to volunteer to bring the donated food to the church. Contact wastenot19971@gmail.com.
All this rescued food might otherwise rot at the dump, giving off greenhouse gases that are affecting our climate.
And what happens to those few strawberries that don’t look so good? They are set aside for a friendly neighborhood cow who is part of the team. The cow says Yum!
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