Food Rescue
April 22nd is Earth Day. Earth Day began in 1970 in the United States and today it is observed in nearly 200 countries! According to Feeding America, 72 billion pounds of food are lost each year (not including wasted food at home) and $218 billion worth of food is thrown away each year.
As we celebrate Earth Day, we want to highlight our Food Rescue program. Food Rescue is a partnership with grocers and convenience stores statewide that provides an opportunity to quickly distribute high-quality, nutritious, and often perishable food to our neighbors in need. Participating stores donate food items that have been pulled from inventory as they near their sell-by dates, but are still safe to eat. We work with over 170 grocers and convenience stores and over 70 of our community food distribution partners to get this food out to those facing food insecurity.
Food Rescue helps prevent unnecessary waste and is a collaboration that makes sense for businesses, the environment, and hunger relief efforts.
We are part of the Feeding America network, which currently rescues 2.8 billion pounds of food and provides it to people in need. In The Idaho Foodbank’s last fiscal year, 36% of our donated food came from the Food Rescue program.
We are proud of our partnerships with grocery and convenience stores through Food Rescue.
Thank you so much to the stores across the state who are part of Food Rescue:
- AAFES Exchange
- Albertsons
- Big Lots
- Boise Co-op
- Broulim’s Fresh Foods
- Costco
- Fred Meyer
- Grocery Outlet
- Jacksons Food Stores
- Maverik
- Natural Grocers
- Ridley’s
- Safeway Stores
- Sam’s Club
- Smith’s
- Stokes Market
- Target
- Trader Joe’s
- US Foods CHEF’STORE
- Walmart
- Whole Foods
- WinCo Foods