One of my favorite quotes of all time was shared by the inspirational leader, Helen Keller: "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." We here at FRN have witnessed firsthand the outcomes of creating a movement through collaboration and relationship-building. That is why, especially during these times of adversity and action, we believe in uplifting organizations and partners in this movement that seek to mitigate food waste and end hunger in this country. 

In April, FRN committed to matching up to $1,000 of donations to support three of our hunger-fighting nonprofit partners in cities across the country that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 — our first ever donation campaign to benefit hunger-fighting partners in our network. 

From April to June, FRN and our national network collectively raised a total of $3,450 to divide equally between City Harvest in New York City, NY, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago, IL, and Pomona Valley Christian Center in Pomona, CA.

In the coming months, each nonprofit will receive a $1,150 check from FRN and on behalf of our network to support their missions of serving those who are experiencing hunger and food insecurity, which is an increasingly large population in light of COVID-19. For context on this imminent problem in our country, Feeding America estimates nearly 54 million people, an additional 17 million compared to previous statistics, are at risk of food insecurity during the pandemic.

Generating solutions, together 

The economic crisis stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic means that rates of food insecurity are rising along with unemployment rates. Further, disruptions in food production and distribution are generating additional food waste in numerous parts of our food system. FRN’s goal is to continue to build and implement effective solutions to food waste and hunger, and we look to foster the change necessary to create just and sustainable communities. 

This work is not possible unless we activate and maintain partnerships with local hunger-fighting organizations, such as City Harvest, Mercy Home, and Pomona Valley, who continually serve their communities at risk of food insecurity. Without these partnerships, FRN wouldn’t have a place to donate the recovered food to, let alone serve our communities in need. We are continually appreciative of their partnership and service. 

This is just the beginning

Although this was FRN’s first ever campaign to monetarily support hunger-fighting nonprofits in our network, we see this as a catalyst for more engagement opportunities. Every year, when we survey the hunger-fighting partner agencies in our network, the most prominent ask is for monetary and funding support to further their programming. Through this campaign, FRN is directly assessing this need for three of our partners in the network. However, this is just the beginning. 

As a part of FRN’s new strategic framework, our first strategy is to activate and engage in strategic partnerships. Given that hunger-fighting nonprofits are so vital to the work we do each day, this campaign opens the door for bringing this group of stakeholders closer into our programming and mission. Hunger-fighting nonprofit partners are a vital piece of the FRN puzzle, and we seek to further fold in their input and ideas into our programming to achieve tangible impact and results in the fight against food waste and hunger. 

Acknowledgements

First, FRN would like to thank and acknowledge the various individual donors who donated to this campaign, your contribution to this campaign and our work is always appreciated. Additionally, we would like to thank Planetary Design as a donor in this campaign and a continual supporter of FRN’s work and programming. Finally, we would like to thank all hunger-fighting nonprofits in our network and communities who continue to support and provide resources for our neighbors at risk of hunger. We encourage our network to check out their programming and consider donating to these organizations to further their work in the fight against hunger. 

Please note that all remaining funds from the campaign will be donated to FRN to further our work to fight food waste and support communities at risk of food insecurity. If you would like to donate to FRN directly, please visit www.foodrecoverynetwork.org/donate.