Kids can help rescue food headed for the landfill—because there’s an app for that

It’s been called “DoorDash for Good.” Food Rescue Hero is an initiative, and an app, with the goal of repurposing food headed for the landfill, and bringing it instead to people who need it most. It’s the ultimate example of killing two massive birds — food insecurity and food waste — with one stone, and it’s also a chance to get your kids involved in both of those issues.

So far, 46,000 users have transported 173 million pounds of food from businesses to community gathering places and homes, and many volunteers bring their children along, teaching them about the process as they go. App users receive notifications of nearby food rescuers, and can even sign up for weekly rescues. Most take under an hour, and make volunteering much easier for busy families. So far, 25 North American cities are participating, but the organization hopes to reach 100 cities by 2030.

According to Food Rescue’s 2022 Impact Report, 1 in 7 people are living with food insecurity, meaning they aren’t sure where their next meals will come from, and 7% of global emissions come from food waste. A new survey from MITRE-Gallup concludes that American families are wasting over six cups of food per week. 

So, the app aims to reduce the up to 40% of wasted food produced. Some of the places who have donated the most food include Giant Eagle, GetGo, The Gordon Food Service Food Show, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, The Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Bon Appetit team at Aurora. 

Founder Leah Lizarondo says, “Food Rescue Hero’s mission is important because it’s not only an opportunity for everyone to take action against climate change, which is an issue that affects us all. It is also an extraordinary opportunity to equalize food access. Many of those who are experiencing food insecurity also cannot access reliable transportation. Food Rescue Hero helps people overcome time and transportation barriers to food support. It changes access dramatically. And this is what we need technology to do—its highest use is to ensure it serves the most vulnerable.”

To see if your city has a nearby Food Rescue location, check out the map. To get started rescuing food on your schedule, read their four steps, and be sure to take your kids along to help.