A quote about FRN's founding decorated the scene at our first-ever house party.
For many, St. Patrick’s Day was March’s big event. While we celebrated with cookies and our love for all things green (both the color and the environmental sense of the word), the big event for us at Food Recovery Network was our first-ever house party.
At our open, meet-and-greet house party, we had the pleasure of hosting more than 70 Washington, D.C.-area residents for an evening of refreshments, conversation and education. The goal? To create an intentional space for building connections between people who share a dedication to social and environmental justice, while also spreading the word about FRN and how we are working to create positive change at both the community and national levels.
Throughout the evening, we shared information about the interrelated issues of food waste and hunger -- and how Food Recovery Network is working to combat both through its student-driven mission. We communicated our vision of a nation where food recovery is the norm rather than the exception. And we connected with others who share similar visions.
Tommy Wells, the director of the Department of Energy & Environment for the District of Columbia with more than 30 years of public service, spoke about creating positive social and environmental change right here in Washington, D.C. Kelliann Blazek, a legislative assistant, also attended the event on behalf of Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), the congresswoman who introduced the nation’s first bill that would significantly reduce food waste on a national scale. They were joined by dozens more professionals whose work generates a positive impact both for today and for the future.
Looking to the future, in this fifth year since FRN’s founding, we are so grateful for all who have supported FRN and food recovery in general so far. We saw a snapshot of this support in the passion of our house party attendees, and we are so excited to continue building on the connections and momentum this event helped us create.
We’re always looking to create connections in our communities. Interested in hosting a house party or similar event with Food Recovery Network? Let us know by emailing Karen Mawdsley at kmawdsley@foodrecoverynetwork.org.