Help End Food Waste with Food Rescue US-Miami

Check out our NBC6 segment, “Women Making a Difference” about our Food Rescue at The Fontainebleau that was delivered to Lotus House Shelter for Women & Children.

UPDATE: Although Food Rescue Miami did not receive a grant this year, thank you to everyone who voted and we continue to grow and expand and look forward to more opportunities to help end food waste. Did you know that 40% of all food is wasted? Yet, 1 in 7 people go to bed hungry. Food waste is a real issue here in Florida and all across the world. Decomposing food in landfills actually contributes to global warming and sea-level rise as 25% of all methane gas produced comes from decomposing food.

As a matter of fact, food waste reduction is one of the TOP THREE ways to reverse the effects of climate change*.

One year ago, Ellen Bowen, Managing Director and Editor of MIAbites, heard many chefs lamenting about the abundance of wasted food in Miami. That’s why she started Food Rescue US-Miami. Using app technology, the non-profit start-up connects food donors with shelters, and the volunteers who do the “food rescue”.

Food Rescue US-Miami was just named one of the TOP FIVE Finalists for the Inspire305 25K grant given by the United Way of Miami-Dade. You can VOTE using this link every 24 hours until May 15th and help them win the award, which will be used to expand the program, provide safe food handling supplies to donors and rent a van for the larger rescues like Hard Rock Stadium( think Super Bowl LIV).

In a little over a year, FRUS-Miami has rescued over 400 times in the Miami area, rescued 120,000 lbs. of food which using USDA industry standard calculations equates to about 100,000 meals and $200,000 in donations. Over 80 volunteers are registered to do rescues from over 30 donors to over 10 receiving agencies.

The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Law enacted by President Bill Clinton in 1996 allows for food to be donated in good faith without liability to the donor.

The app lists each available rescue and the matching receiving agency, and volunteers claim the rescues on the app.

Donations range from unused or unsold prepared food from buffets, pre-packaged sandwiches, salads, fruit cups, bread and rolls, canned and boxed non-perishables and baked goods.

Current food donors include Whole Foods, Centerplate at Hard Rock Stadium, The Fontainebleau, The 1 Hotel, Stubborn Seed, Starbucks, Bird & Bone at The Confidante Hotel, Brava by Brad Kilgore at The Arsht All Day, and events like Taste of The Nation, Hamburger House Party, and March of Dimes gala. Food Rescue Miami partnered with FIU students for massive food rescues at SOBEWFF.

Current agencies receiving the donations include Miami Rescue Mission, Camillus House, Lotus House Shelter for Women and Children , Sisters of Mother Teresa Emergency Shelter and Enriched Foods.