Waste not, want not: ‘rescue’ food for others

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/05/2021 (1778 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s an agency that takes food waste from Winnipeg businesses and gives it to various agencies for people to eat.

The “food waste” is excess food that is still good to eat but can no longer be used, sold or served at a business. If not for the app, the food would likely end up in the landfill.

The Leftovers Foundation is one of Canada’s largest, tech-enabled food charities. It was started by Lourdes Juan in Calgary in 2012 and was established in Manitoba by Brandy Bobier last fall.

In the short time it’s been in operation in Winnipeg, leftovers has been taken from businesses such as St. James Burger Co., Starbucks, and Red River Co-op among others, and redirected to agencies such as the North End Women’s Centre, Rossbrook House, Bear Clan, and KaNi Kanichihk.

Bobier says the foundation operates with a general quality standard of “if you would eat it, we will rescue it.”

There are strict guidelines that regulate donated food to ensure it is fresh and edible, but the purpose of the charity is to salvage as much food as possible and save it from ending up in the landfill.

The Leftovers Foundation website says that in 2020, 596,755 pounds of food were redirected from the landfill to community members and neighbours in Manitoba and Alberta. Since being established in Manitoba, 19 donors and 23 (soon to be 27) agencies have come aboard.

The food gets transported from a donor to an agency thanks to volunteers who sign up through the Rescue Food app. Currently there are 168 registered volunteers, though roughly 100 of them haven’t picked up a route yet. The process is surprisingly simple and usually takes less than an hour.

Volunteers register with the app, which is managed by Bobier. On any given day they can pick a designated route, which is one pickup location and one drop-off location. From there they have a window of time, usually a couple of hours during the day or evening, to pick up food from a donor business and drop it off at an agency.

I had no idea something like this existed until I met Bobier, a few months ago. We were introduced at a North End community cleanup, and since we were both by ourselves, we paired up to clean litter in a field behind the Elizabeth Fry Society. As we shoved trash into bags, she spoke passionately about her work, explaining the agency’s mission of not only rescuing food, but protecting the environment and fighting poverty.

I was so inspired by her mission that I downloaded the app… but quickly forgot about it. Life got busy, and I didn’t think I had time to help. I didn’t want to commit to something that I didn’t have time for, so I didn’t.

Then, one day a few weeks ago I was rummaging through my phone and I noticed the app and figured I’d give it a try.

I messaged Bobier and asked her if I needed to do anything more than pick up and drop off the food for the route I chose and she said no. So I made my way to Starbucks to pick up a donation, feeling a bit nervous as one does when they do something new.

The delivery, a brown paper bag full of pastries and bagels was for the Mama Bear Clan to use in lunches they give to community members every Friday and Sunday night. It took me less than an hour and I was shocked at how easy it was. This is something I am proud to do and be part of. I can’t wait to do it again.

If you’d like to volunteer, you can download the Rescue Food App through the App Store or Google Play. Check out rescue food.ca for more information.

shelley.cook@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter @ShelleyACook