Blog
By:
Category: Table Talk
Posted: October 10, 2012 8:10 AM
Tags: Twisted Pine Brewery, Nora Leccese, Ideal Market, Hana Dansky, Get Involved, Family Learning Center, Caleb Phillips, Boulder Food Rescue, Becky Higbee, 20 days of giveaways
Get Involved: Boulder Food Rescue
A box of juicy raspberries reaches its sell-by date, and off the grocery store shelves it goes—right into the trash. The same is true for all perishable products that linger a bit too long: They're marked as waste and discarded. And yet, just as those raspberries are being tossed aside, members of our community go hungry for lack of nutritious food.
The equation seems simple; the solution obvious. And to Caleb Phillips, Hana Dansky, and Becky Higbee it was: Last August, the three co-founded Boulder Food Rescue a nonprofit which redistributes food “waste” to those in need. BFR, as it's called, effectively works to both eliminate hunger and wasted food.
BFR rescues perishable food, past its sell-by date, from local donors (grocery stores, bakeries) and immediately delivers it to organizations feeding those in need. In efforts to be truly sustainable, transport is done by bike. BFR bins, filled by donors, are picked up daily by volunteers, loaded into a bike trailer and immediately delivered to the recipient. To date, the group has rescued more than 180,000 pounds of food with the help of 122 volunteers and 19 donors. The straightforward model has expanded into other cities, including Denver, sparking food rescue programs nation-wide.
Rescued food includes a wide array of gourmet goods that would make any mouth water. Volunteer Nora Leccese (pictured) peddles 125 pounds of it from Boulder's Ideal Market to the Family Learning Center. The single trailer holds house-made hummus, large hunks of pecorino cheese, bagels, beautifully decorated cakes, organic mushrooms, and perfectly ripe nectarines.
Get Involved: BFR is always in need of bike-riding volunteers. Email info@boulderfoodrescue.org to learn more or email denverfoodrescue@gmail.com to get involved in Denver. Attend BFR's fundraiser on October 21 at Twisted Pine Brewery and raise a glass to the nonprofit. (Funds raised will aid Boulder and Denver alike). Or, simply donate online: $50 funds the construction of a bike trailer, $35 funds a large food transport bin, and $12 funds a small bin.
720-445-5237
THIS STORY WAS PART OF 5280's 20 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS!
Rescue Food's Comment for Sweepstakes Entry
Submitted by jolucky1 on Wed, 2012-10-10 16:09.
My hat goes off to Boulder for their mission in streatching the American Dollar! It's about time someone takes a stand and does this. I wish more communities would get involved. Insted of tossing it to the trash!
I asked a local grocer and also a few resturants if I could get buckets of left over foods for my pigs. I had two of them. They both told me no it could not happen. I had to watch a local chain throw away almost whole pizza's from their lunch buffet if they sat longer than 20 minutes. Made me sick.
When I asked the grocer for the left overs for the goats I was told no again. They put it in the dumpster. I wish they would make use of it and give it to someone who can eat it, being human or animal.
After all the animals were butchered and I always donated to the local food banks with my meats. What comes around goes around!
Woncerful job, hope others follow!
Rescuing Food
Submitted by kimberleemiller on Wed, 2012-10-10 15:54.
This is awesome. I wouldn't have time to donate bike/delivery time but I am always looking for worthwhile organizations to contribute to. This sounds like a great one.
Giving Back To The Community!
Submitted by maisyboomhobs on Wed, 2012-10-10 15:46.
Marvelous work! It is a no-brainer that many communities should follow suit in doing.
Great Idea
Submitted by sheenapowell02 on Wed, 2012-10-10 15:41.
I always wondered why the food was donated in the first place!! Great work!
Thanks BFR!
Submitted by alanbau on Wed, 2012-10-10 15:29.
This model should be duplicated across the country. Great Job!
Delivering Hope!
Submitted by Clpayne on Wed, 2012-10-10 14:54.
BFR provides more than nourishment to the people they serve. They are nourishing hope and life in their community. What a beautiful picture of love.
Wonderful Idea
Submitted by andreac on Wed, 2012-10-10 14:42.
This story made me think about all the food that is wasted daily by all of us. We can all do our part to stop this incredible waste and help others. Thank you for sharing this.
A great venture!
Submitted by PrairieElk on Wed, 2012-10-10 14:35.
What a great way to recapture food that would otherwise be wasted!
Boulder really is an...
Submitted by KristinaOBoyer on Wed, 2012-10-10 14:09.
...innovation engine! Kudos to Boulder & its fantastic residents for starting such a fantastic program!
Thanks BFR!
Submitted by drdolly27 on Wed, 2012-10-10 14:05.
What a great way to help the community and eliminate waste!
Nice to Hear Something Positive
Submitted by redtigeress33 on Wed, 2012-10-10 13:58.
This good to see food that normally goes to waste being used and some of the postive stuff going on in the world being recognized instead of all the negative. Keep up the good work!
Heartwarming
Submitted by lindastephens on Wed, 2012-10-10 13:43.
Great cause, great way to transport, we need more of this kind of thing...
Fundraiser!
Submitted by mtnjeepin on Wed, 2012-10-10 13:39.
This sounds like a great effort to stop food waste! I'll be there to support the cause on Oct 21!
What a great organization!
Submitted by mpcsmommy on Wed, 2012-10-10 13:29.
What a great organization!
Boulder Food Rescue!
Submitted by GrimMoose on Wed, 2012-10-10 13:28.
Incredible program and proof of the beneficial work generated by community partnerships... Really cool!
Very unique light
Submitted by kathib on Wed, 2012-10-10 13:27.
This sure would brighten up my life.
Eliminating waste?
Submitted by madthomas on Wed, 2012-10-10 13:23.
They must not be part of the government
every bit helps
Submitted by KelseyWittenberg on Wed, 2012-10-10 13:23.
Unfortunately, some companies have policies that do not allow food to be donated or given away for their own liability (even food that they are going to throw away that isn't bad yet). But hopefully this group can find a lot of places that will give freely! Good luck!
Cool
Submitted by leeramirez on Wed, 2012-10-10 13:15.
Meals on wheels, the green version! Pretty cool, thanks for sharing.
Sounds like a winning combonation.
Submitted by redhotnick on Wed, 2012-10-10 13:13.
Wonderful idea!
Need to do the same in the floral design industry
I work in the floral design industry for years and I've had the same thought in regards to the waste with weddings and events. Obviously, it's not on par importance level with food... but... flowers are constantly chucked in the trash after most every wedding. What if there was a non-profit who was able to pick-up those flowers and redistribute them to hospitals, nursing homes, etc..
I'm so happy this is happening in Boulder. Well done.
Yay! It's about time.
Leave it to the proactive folks in Boulder to finally implement a program like this, which is way overdue. You go guys!
Love this program
Love this program
Fantastic Idea!
This is an awesome idea, and a great use of what would normally go to waste.
Boulder Food Rescue
Way to persevere and break through blocks in the system to get usable food to hungry people!
Time For Giving
Giving back to others, less fortunate
Great project!
Giving back is never a bad idea!
Amazing idea
Brilliant!!
great idea!
Good for them.
Truly wonderful and inspirational
Every day, I see perfectly good food get thrown away (I am a teacher at a Title I school where the government pays for the students' breakfast and lunch). They constantly complain about it and just throw it away. I am so happy to hear that there are people out there helping those who truly appreciate the food that they are given.
wasted food
Great idea to help others.
Awesome!
Great combination of brilliant ideas!
Fantastic!
My brother-in-law is the director of a non-profit organziation in Park City, UT that has been working with the local grocery stores for many years to distrube food that is no longer saleable in stores to those in need. I am thrilled to hear about Boulder Food Rescue and the work they are doing. Thank you 5280 for featuring this organization. I hope you continue to bring awareness to the issues of poverty and hunger in our own community and how we can all become more active in making serious changes in these matters.
awesome idea
Takes "Eat your food because some child in Africa is starving" to a new level!
AMAZING!
What a concept! Love it!
Great idea
Waste not, want not!
Great Work
Thanks for taking care of our own.
Sharing
Food Recycling
Makes sense
nice