“Words can’t express the depth of our gratitude for the incredible work you do every day. Your dedication to reducing food waste and ensuring that surplus food reaches those in need is truly inspiring. Your commitment to creating a more sustainable and equitable future is not only commendable but essential. We feel privileged to collaborate with you in this vital mission.
Together, we are making a tangible impact on our communities and the planet.”
CHEF JACK - BON APPETIT MANAGEMENT COMPANY AT VISA CAFE ASHBURN VA
Britton Jones Executive Chairman
Dave Lampert Chief Executive Officer
FILL PLATES. NOT LANDFILLS.
Dear Friends,
Thanks to our large and growing network of supporters - food donors, volunteer rescuers, receiving agencies, and of course, financial supporters - Food Rescue US had another outstanding year in 2023, with a record number of rescues and meals delivered.
In 2023, Food Rescue US volunteers completed over 118 thousand rescues, an increase of 28%! Operating 365 days/year, that’s an average of 325 rescues per day across our 40 sites in 21 states and the District of Columbia. That adds up to a record of over 31 million meals, with a value of over $73 million of fresh, healthy food for our neighbors facing food insecurity.
Our mission and operating model are simple but extremely effective: our army of 7,000 + active volunteers pick up perfectly good, healthy food primarily from grocers and restaurants (food that would otherwise go to landfills) and deliver it to social service agencies such as food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters, who serve the food insecure. Underpinned by innovative technology, our solution simultaneously addresses two crises: hunger and climate change
Hunger . At the same we are wasting 40% of all food in the US; there are over 44 million Americans experiencing food insecurity, many of them children. While our solution alone cannot end hunger, we play an important role in helping bridge the gap between surplus food and those without enough to eat. Especially noteworthy is the fact that Food Rescue US rescues primarily healthy fresh, perishable foods that many food insecure people would not otherwise have access to on a regular basis
Climate change. When food goes to landfill, as it degrades it releases methane, one of the most harmful greenhouse gases for global warming. In America, because we waste such a vast amount of food (over 180 billion pounds each year), it is a huge environmental problem. In fact, if food waste were a country, it would be the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gas in the world, following China and the US.
Despite the significant gains we achieved in our impact in 2023, hunger and climate change continue to be two of the most urgent and growing problems facing our country. There is still a tremendous amount of work to do in surmounting these challenges, and with sustained support, we continue to address these critical issues with incredible efficiency: In 2023, we provided food for 16 meals for each dollar we spent.
2024 promises to be an exciting year for Food Rescue US as we continue to scale our tremendously effective and efficient solution. We are still investing in our team and technology to continue to make significant gains in our impact in helping to end hunger and protect our planet.
With immense gratitude and thanks for our many loyal supporters,
Dave Lampert, CEO Britton Jones, Executive Chairman
2023 IMPACT
Thanks to our devoted volunteers, food donors, and receiving agency partners, the Food Rescue US team celebrated another milestone year. Our impact grew across the board, helping to feed new communities and welcoming new food donation partners. We were excited to welcome new volunteers, whose commitment makes our model possible.
By recovering surplus food and supporting under-served communities through our social service agency partners, we continue to refine the ways we FILL PLATES, NOT LANDFILLS. Our technology-powered, community driven approach continues to adapt to the needs of communities across the United States.
38 Million Pounds of Fresh Food Rescued
118,000+ Rescues Completed 28% increase from 2022
31 Million Meals Provided Valued at over $73 million dollars
43,657.50 Tons of CO2eq Prevented*
183 Million Pounds of Fresh Food Rescued
3,000+ Food Donors Launched Five New Sites
SINCE 2011
152 Million Meals Delivered
500,600+ Tons of CO2eq Prevented* *Calculated using the ReFED Insights Engine
2023 HIGHLIGHTS
NEW FACES, SAME MISSION
With the elevation of longtime CEO, Carol Shattuck to Board Executive Vice Chair, Food Rescue US welcomed Dave Lampert as our new CEO in August of 2023. We are deeply grateful for Carol’s devoted service, and equally excited to see how Dave can build upon the strong foundation set by Carol’s leadership.
In December, Food Rescue US welcomed James Hart as our new Director Development. James will lead our efforts to obtain the revenue our organization needs to continue to flourish, as well as growing our national brand as a leader in tech-driven food recovery.
11,000 RESCUES!
In August, Food Rescue US hit a remarkable logistical milestone, with over 11,000 rescues completed in one month! That is an average of over 350 rescues per day and serves as a reminder that Food Rescue US is a potent force for good in the fight against food waste and food insecurity.
TECHNOLOGY
Our web-based app remains at the core of our model, and we continue to lead the way in innovation. We continue to implement new features and fixes to meet the needs of our site directors, volunteers, and agency partners:
• Marketing Hub: This feature allows site directors to manage their connected social media account directly through our web-based app. Site directors can access a library of pre-designed content to make sharing easier and more accessible.
• Spanish Language Compatibility: As our network of volunteers grows, so does the need for additional languages within the app. Users who have their phones set to Spanish as the default language will now be able to access the app in Spanish as well!
OUR LOCATIONS
Our network consists of independent nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and various entities operating under the Food Rescue US name, utilizing our proprietary app and best practices. We are delighted to collaborate with organizations and individuals who share our dedication to ending hunger and reducing food waste. Visit www.foodrescue.us to view our current locations.
ALABAMA
Birmingham
Grace Klein Community
ARKANSAS
Northwest Arkansas
Food Rescue US – NW Arkansas
Co-Site Directors: Chris Wolf and Autumn Berliner
COLORADO
Eagle Valley
Eagle Valley Community Foundation
CONNECTICUT
Fairfield County
Food Rescue US – Fairfield County
Co-Site Directors: Haley Schulman and Karen Saggese
Northwest CT
Food Rescue US – Northwest CT
Site Director: Stacey Smith
Hartford
Food Rescue US – Hartford
Site Director: James Mary
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington DC
Food Rescue US – DC
Site Director: Kate Urbank
Celestial Manna
FLORIDA
South Florida
Food Rescue US – South Florida
Site Director: Ellen Bowen
Southwest Florida
Food Rescue US – Southwest Florida
Site Director: Krishna Mala Sachdeva
GEORGIA
Atlanta
Food Rescue US – Atlanta
Site Director: Danica Milinovic
IOWA
Davenport and Bettendorf
Food Rescue US - Quad Cities
Site Director: Taelor Denton
ILLINOIS
Rock Island and Moline
Food Rescue US - Quad Cities
Site Director: Taelor Denton
Chicago Area
Food Rescue US - Chicagoland
Site Director: Linda Bartman
INDIANA
Fort Wayne
Food Rescue US - Fort Wayne
Site Director: Jodi Leamon
KANSAS
Wichita
ICT Food Rescue
LOUISIANA
New Orleans
Food Rescue US -New Orleans
Site Director: Melissa Lindner
MARYLAND
Anne Arundel County
Blessed in Tech
Howard County
Food Rescue US - Howard County
Site Director: Carla Cash
Prince George’s County
Prince George’s County Food Rescue
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston
Food Rescue US - Boston
Site Director: Charlie Burns
Cape Cod
Barnstable County
MICHIGAN
Detroit
Food Rescue US – Detroit
Site Director: Darraugh Collins
Greater Lansing Area
Food Rescue US - Lansing Communities
Site Director: Valerie Lafferty
MINNESOTA
Minneapolis
TC Food Justice
NEVADA
Law Vegas
Celestial Manna
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
Food Rescue US – Albuquerque
Site Director: Randy Truman
NEW YORK
Nassau County (Long Island)
Food Rescue US - Nassau County
Site Director: Madhu Minna
Suffolk County (Long Island)
Food Rescue US - North Fork
Site Director: Maria Pietromonaco
Food Rescue US - South Fork
Site Director: Radika Eccles
NORTH CAROLINA
Durham
Food Rescue US – Research Tri. Park
Site Director: Binta Watkins
Feeding Charlotte
OHIO
Cincinnati La Soupe
Hamilton Jee Foods
Columbus
Food Rescue US – Columbus
Co-Site Directors: Susan Swinford and Emily Rials
Dayton
The Food Bank of Dayton
PENNSYLVANIA
Hershey
Cocoa Packs
SOUTH CAROLINA
Charleston
Food Rescue US - Charleston
Co-Site Directors: Rachel Ellis and Emily Fralinger
TEXAS
Austin Keep Austin Fed
UTAH
Utah County Wasteless Solutions
Salt Lake City
Wasteless Solutions
VIRGINIA
Virginia Beach
Food Rescue US – Virginia Beach
FINANCIALS
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION*
As of December 31, 2023
*Financial information sourced from Food Rescue US independently audited financials
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES* For The Year Ended December 31, 2023
The ladies working in the pantry greet us with big smiles and open arms to help unload and weigh the delivery… For me, it’s not just the delivery of the rescued food that creates an impact in my local community. It begins and is created at all touch points in the rescue process.
MARI JACKSON - RESCUER FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CT
STAFF & BOARD
STAFF
Dave Lampert Chief Executive Officer
Sandy Spiegbigel VP Operations
James Hart Director of Development
Joe Robbins Senior Product Manager
Laurie Jones Director, Special Projects (Volunteer)
Alena Murphy Business Manager
Victoria Zapata National Site Manager
Haley Schulman National Site Coordinator
Alyssa Defrin-Adeyemi Grants Manager
Sheldon Rawson Product Support Representative
Levi Grimm Product Support Representative
Leigh Claypool Development Admin
Janice Moynihan Grant Writer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Britton Jones
Executive Chairman
Carol Shattuck
Executive Vice Chair
Robbyn Footlick
Secretary
Heide Moeller
Treasurer
Jim Kirsch
Bruce Koe
Buddy Kretzman
Karen McNair
Leslie Dahl
John McKenna
John Popa
Bill Taibe
Special Advisor to the Board
“One of the lesser-talked-about advantages of food rescue is the social connection that it provides, especially with volunteers who might be retired or parents who are dropping off their kids.
I’ve heard time and time again about the benefit of relationships that form conversations with the receiving agencies and even the food donors. Those person-to-person interactions are so valuable.”
STACEY SMITH - FOOD RESCUE US - NW CONNECTICUT SITE DIRECTOR
