7 Memories to Get You Excited for the NFRD 2016

There are only three weeks left until we welcome hundreds of FRNds to the National Food Recovery Dialogue! As we count down the days, we're remembering how wonderful it was to spend a weekend surrounded by such inspirational folks last year. Read seven of our favorite memories below! And if you want to keep up with all the fun we have April 2-4, follow @foodrecovery on Twitter and Instagram and #NFRD2016.  

 

SARA GASSMAN, DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SUPPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

"I loved the getting-to-know-you bingo and the photo booth at the FRN student dinner. Also all our student panelists and presenters were amaaaaaazing."

FRNds being silly in the photo booth.

CAM PASCUAL, CO-FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION

"Okay so this isn't a specific moment, but walking around the whole weekend in a sea of FRN green shirts was such an incredible experience. Seeing so many leaders repping FRN really made me feel part of something so much bigger than myself."

Dr. Caree Cotwright sharing her story about food and education.

Mika Weinstein, Manager of Programs and Evaluation

"Dr. Caree Cotwright was an incredibly motivational speaker! As a part of her talk, some brave FRNds got up in front of the conference and told us what their dreams were. Inspiring stuff!" 

FRNds making friends.

Mia Zavalij, Director of Development

"I loved getting to know our students -- and being so so inspired by them! It was amazing to hear their stories and perspectives from their experience on the ground with FRN."

Last year's FRN family.

Hannah Gingerich, Member Support Fellow

"One of my favorite (and most memorable) moments was actually waiting for the bus at the airport to take us to Athens. As chapters arrived one by one, we started introducing ourselves, asking "what school are you from?", "how many people from your chapter came?", "have you come to a conference before?", etc., etc. But after those initial couple questions, it was like there was no barrier -- many of us became fast FRNds! As we waited for the delayed bus, a large group of us sat down in the airport and started coloring with some books a chapter had brought, laughing and sharing food. This sort of easy friendship continued throughout the conference, especially in those moments in which we found ourselves back at our church for the night or headed out for ice cream after our group dinner. The energy at the airport that first night was so exciting -- the sense of community was almost instantaneous."

Sara Gassman and Sara Gross explaining the bingo game for making new FRNds.

Leyla Erkan, Expansion Fellow

"Becoming BFFs with my chapter after sharing a room with five other people! Other highlights include: being so shy that I didn't talk to anyone at FRN national, losing but enjoying bingo at the student dinner, geeking out at the photo wall (while also struggling to arrange our letters properly lolol), seeing other FRN chapters and taking goofy pics while volunteering. Most importantly I felt inspired to apply for this fellowship! Wooo!" 

A FRNd listens intently to the conference's keynote address.

Hannah Cather, Member Support Fellow

"Attending last year's conference on a whim was the best spontaneous decision I've ever made. I was covered in chill bumps all weekend because everything was SO inspiring! Everyone around me was doing something to change the world. How incredible is that?"

Board of Directors Updates

Behind every great organization is a great Board. And the Board of FRN blows that notion out of the water. Our Board of Directors are responsible for maintaining the health and well-being of our organization, and I want you to know FRN is in very capable hands. Each and every Board member cares about the success of FRN just as much as each of you. And I have some exciting news to share with everyone.

First, some bittersweet news: After 3 years as our Board Chair, Robert “Bob” Grimm, Director of the Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Maryland, is stepping down from this role. On the bright side, he’s not going far as he will remain on the FRN Board—so we’ll still benefit from Bob’s expert guidance and knowledge.

Please join me in congratulating Ernie Minor, Vice President Business Development with Sodexo, who is stepping into the role of Board Chair. Ernie has been on the Board since 2014. Ernie brings years of business experience to help navigate FRN as we aim for bigger and bigger goals. He has been instrumental in connecting FRN to his colleagues to foster the growth of more chapters. Sodexo is a major sponsor of FRN, and they have helped catapult us into the national stage.

I am also so thrilled to announce that in February two new amazing individuals joined the FRN Board of Directors. Please join me in welcoming Nosheen Ahmad, Program Manager with FH1 360, and Kristine Young, Sustainability Manager at Darden Restaurants. Among many other areas, Nosheen is passionate about planning and implementing long-term complex projects, and Kristine has a deep understanding of sustainability and food recovery, and is known for her people-connecting abilities. Both Nosheen and Kristine will add expertise to support FRN as we move into our next phase as an organization.

I look forward to sharing more about our Board members in the upcoming months. Many of them will be at the National Food Recovery Dialogue next month, too!

Beyond Recoveries: Getting Out Into the Community

This post was written by our awesome FRNd Jessie Cohen, President of University of Pittsburgh's Food Recovery Heroes. Jessie can be contacted at jec175@pitt.edu.

Food Recovery Heroes Vice President Emily Hanna paints a child's face to help raise money for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Food Recovery Heroes, the University of Pittsburgh chapter of FRN, spent a Saturday afternoon in December painting children’s faces. What does this have to do with our mission to reduce food waste on campus and re-purpose surplus food? It has to do with building partnerships, giving back to our community in unique ways, and supporting larger efforts to combat food insecurity.

For the two years that Food Recovery Heroes has existed, we’ve been asked to face paint at the East End Food Co-op’s annual Winterfest. The Food Co-op is Pittsburgh’s only member-owned natural and organic food market, and they hold an event every December to raise money for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Volunteers always have a great time painting faces, sharing what we do on campus, and interacting with the hundreds of community members that come out to support the Food Bank! 

After a great time at Winterfest, we kicked off spring semester with additional opportunities beyond recoveries to give back to the Pittsburgh community. Food Recovery Heroes had incredible experiences preparing lunch for people at the Ronald McDonald House and at one of our partner agencies, Jubilee Soup Kitchen! 

Volunteers at the Ronald McDonald prepared a vegetable tray, sandwiches, and dessert for families staying at the Ronald McDonald house in order to get world-class care for their children at the Children’s Hospital next door. It was both fun and rewarding to feed families that were beyond appreciative to have a meal prepared for them. 

FRH leaders and volunteers help prepare a meal for Pittsburgh's Ronald McDonald house. (From left: Mitchell Moyer, Emily Hanna, Neema Shayo, and Jessica Schatz)

FRH leaders and volunteers prepared a wide variety of healthy food for the families staying at Pittsburgh's Ronald McDonald house to eat.

"Many of these families are coming from out of the area, often for longer stretches of time," said Jessica Schatz, the FRH Community Outreach Organizer. "By offering low-cost housing, free meals and other services, Ronald McDonald provides a great resource to these families, who truly need and appreciate the help. ... I'm glad we were able to support their mission!" 

FRH's Community Outreach Coordinator Jessica Schatz paints a child's face pink.

Every week, Food Recovery Heroes re-purposes unused trays of hot food from the University of Pittsburgh dining hall to Jubilee Soup Kitchen. But what do they do with the food? Who do they serve? These are the questions our volunteers received answers to as they set up, prepared, and served a meal to the many people who benefit from the soup kitchen!

Food Recovery Heroes VP Emily Hanna says that, “It was really rewarding getting to meet some of the individuals we are regularly donating to and it was great to learn more about all the fantastic services provided by Jubilee.” 

These events beyond recoveries got us out into the community and helped us connect with a variety of inspiring organizations. The experience has made it extremely clear that connecting with and feeding our neighbors is just as important (and fun!) as reducing food waste on campus!

Inspired by what you read? Keep up with University of Pittsburgh's Food Recovery Heroes on Facebook and through their website. 

NFRD Who's Who: Q&A with Pete Pearson

This is the seventh post in our NFRD Who's Who series, a collection of interviews with the fantastic leaders who will be speaking at the National Food Recovery Dialogue from April 2-4. Stay tuned – we'll be sharing more interviews as we count down to the NFRD.

Pete Pearson is the Director of Food Waste US at World Wildlife Fund. Pete works on food waste prevention and food recovery, helping businesses understand the intersection of agriculture and wildlife conservation. For almost a decade, he has been working as a change agent within various businesses and nonprofits on regenerative agriculture, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Pete has led local and national sustainability programs within the retail grocery sector across 2,000 grocery stores in 37 states. He also has more than 10 years of technology experience with companies including Hewlett-Packard, Accenture and Albertsons. He has worked with public schools and hospitals as an independent sustainability consultant, co-founded a nonprofit focused on sustainable agriculture, and has also co-produced a documentary film on local food production. Pete currently lives in Washington, D.C. and enjoys fly fishing, boating, and exploring the outdoors with his family.

FRN: What are you looking forward to at the conference?

Pete Pearson: I always love getting together with passionate people who want to make the world a better place. So much is possible and these events are energizing.

FRN: Why are you passionate about food recovery?

PP: Food is a basic human need, and the choices we make as participants in the food system are directly linked to the planet, ecosystems and the species we want to save. Transforming the food system will revolutionize our relationship and impact on the planet. 

FRN: What's your proudest accomplishment of your career?

PP: Producing, filming, and editing an independent documentary was one of the most challenging and rewarding accomplishments professionally. Storytelling is such a vital element to catalyzing change. To do it well takes incredible commitment, skill and creativity. I can’t wait to try it again!

FRN: Time for some fun. What would you say your spirit vegetable is?

PP: According to an online quiz, my spirit vegetable is Red Cabbage. No idea how that was determined, but according to Wiki, it’s an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K and contains anthocyanins which have anti-carcinogenic properties. :)

Interested in learning more about Pete's work with World Wildlife Fund? Register for the National Food Recovery Dialogue today and follow WWF on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

FRNds Take Capitol Hill: Lobby Day 2016

This has been a huge year for food recovery. John Oliver made us laugh; the USDA and EPA set goals for our nation; Jenny Rustemeyer and Grant Baldwin told us to “Just Eat It”; and FRN reached 1 million pounds of recovered food. We think it’s the perfect time for our FRNds to head to Capitol Hill for the first time ever to advocate for food recovery policy on a national scale, so we are doing just that on April 4th!

We have more than 50 amazing FRN chapter leaders confirmed to attend Lobby Day and more than 10 (and counting) Congressional offices for them to meet with. During our meetings, FRN student leaders, national staff, and dining representatives will urge legislators to support Rep. Chellie Pingree’s Food Recovery Act, vote for Rep. Jerry McNerney’s Food Waste Accountability Act, and think deeply about creating new legislation that makes food recovery easier and more enticing. FRN chapter leaders are proving that food recovery is safe and effective across the country each day, and now they’re bringing their experience and energy to Washington.

If you haven’t had a chance to sign up yet, you still can! Registration for both the NFRD and Lobby Day closes March 16th. If you can’t attend Lobby Day this year, remember that you can always engage your elected officials about the causes you’re invested in. Join us in tweeting at your elected officials on April 4th, and stay tuned to our social media for information about writing senators and representatives as Lobby Day approaches.

We can’t wait to have our #FRNdsOnTheHill for #FRNLobbyDay2016!

Excited as we are about Lobby Day? Have questions? Please email our Lobby Day team at lobby.day@foodrecoverynetwork.org for more information.