Andy Whitehead is a Program Assistant at Food Recovery Network, and a recent MSW graduate from the University at Buffalo. As a social worker engaged in food recovery, they are passionate about changing the mindsets and attitudes people have towards food recovery as a whole. 

On October 12th and 13th, Food Rescue Hero hosted their annual Food Rescue Conference focusing on innovative and creative solutions to food recovery. This event was live streamed for all food recovery stakeholders wanting to expand their network with other food rescue leaders. 

Read about Andy’s approach to food recovery and their take-aways from the conference for like-minded student leaders.

I was excited to attend the Food Rescue Conference to learn from individuals and organizations who are also passionate about food recovery about how we can advance food rescue and food recovery in our communities. Throughout the conference there was a focus on creating strong collaboration and partnership among the huge variety of people and groups that make up the food rescue community. Working in the human service field, I have worked with a variety of organizations that include food donation or recovery in their programs, and The Food Rescue Conference was a great opportunity to learn from others about various creative solutions to the challenges of food waste and food access.

Our food system is broken in so many ways. There is stigma, personal and societal, around receiving donated food or going to a food pantry. Meanwhile, hunger-fighting groups limit the amount of food people can receive because of a belief that they may run out and not be able to serve everyone who seeks out their program. I have worked with organizations that say no when people ask for more canned goods or for a second helping of food because the organization is worried that they will run out of food, even though there is always food remaining at the end of the day. At the same time, restaurants and other food businesses don't want to donate excess food at the end of the day due to lack of staffing, partnerships, reliability, or profit. These challenges can often be addressed through a successful food recovery program, but the scarcity mindset that leads to these myths and misconceptions around food still persists, so let’s debunk this! 

First, we must shift our focus to preventing food waste, instead of simply operating a charity, so we can change our attitude towards the people we serve and our partners. There is often an assumption of powerlessness or helplessness when we think of people who are receiving food donations, going to soup kitchens, or food pantries. However, anyone can be a recipient of food donations, regardless of socio-economic status. Everyone plays a part in this food waste prevention including food donors, drivers and deliveries, volunteers, and anyone who eats! We can stop filtering who can receive donations and see everyone as a solution to the problem of excess food waste. We can break down our assumptions about people, and stop thinking of people as less fortunate and instead think of everyone as part of the solution. Our attitudes and beliefs are what give power to the system of injustice. But I need to eat, and you need to eat, just as much as anyone else. As the Food Recovery Network, a huge part of our work is focused on student leaders and higher education. Although we focus on building out non-profit partnerships and local community members, many of our own students may be experiencing hardship and food insecurity. Going hungry, does not have to mean that someone is unhoused or below the poverty line, or unemployed.

As a former college student myself, I would try to find different avenues to find free food because most of my money went towards my tuition or on-campus housing. I did not pay for a meal plan and often relied on my friends to give me their leftovers or extra meal swipes. I have privilege. I was attending a higher education institution, I always had housing, but I still was very careful and conscious as to where my next meal was coming from. By shifting our attitudes and beliefs, this can expand our view of who may be going hungry all around us and who can benefit from food recovery. Utilizing a food waste focused approach, this may also assist us to understand that those who identify as food insecure will also fluctuate and change day by day. 

We live in a world of overproduction, consumerism, and waste. Each year in the US, 119 billion pounds of food, equating to 40% of all food produced, is wasted. There should never be a reason that people are unable to eat or that  hunger-fighting programs “will not have enough”. The real problem isn’t will we have enough food, but where is the food and how can we get it to people? How can we build partnerships to expand our network and get people what they need?

how can we get surplus food to people who need it?

One solution discussed in the Food Rescue Conference is a community fridge. The community fridge offers a way for any community member to be able to access fresh, surplus food. Anyone can take as much or as little food as they need each day. These fridges operate on community support and are stocked with what food is available, when it's available. Logistics are shared by community members and food donors can drop off food on their own, or utilize food rescue delivery volunteers to put whatever they have left day to day. There is no minimum amount of food they must give and every bit helps stock the fridge. 

Another solution is reframing the values of food recovery. Students often have this idea that food recovery solely means scooping food and donating it to partners. While yes, this is a big part of food recovery, we can also get creative and bring innovative ideas to the table. Many of our chapters have shifted focus to spreading awareness and educating their community on food waste and recovery, or reaching out to businesses and farms to promote sustainability. If you run into challenges of there not being enough food at a dining hall, or administration not allowing students to recover food, think about different community partnerships to expand to. 

How can we take a more community wide approach and expand into education and advocacy to bolster the food recovery work that is already being done. Is there a way to destigmatize the need for food by promoting food to anyone and everyone. The Food Rescue Conference was a great opportunity to learn of the creative ways that these issues are being attacked across the country. Getting creative and sharing ideas in hopes of improving the issues of food waste and food insecurity together is the best way to improve the system at hand. Everyone plays a role in food waste prevention and fighting hunger, get involved at a local level through a community fridge or a non-profit nearby.

If you are a current student or know of a student at a higher ed institution that would be interested in joining a chapter or starting their own, reach out to us and we would be happy to have you join the fight against food waste.