Solution 5: Increase Donations
Why Solution 5?
Organizations throw food away because they do not know what safety rules apply to donations, or because they cannot access tax deductions to cover the cost of transporting such food. We created this toolkit to break down the procedures and best practices.
In Maine, confusing laws lead to unnecessary food waste, wasting up to 4,200 tons of food annually in Maine’s K-12 schools, all while 1 in 5 Maine children go hungry.
Solution 5 Pilots:
Solution 5 Tools and Resources:
- Food Donation Toolkit
- Food Donation Toolkit Presentation
- Food pantry locations
- Food Rescue U.S.
- NRDC Report: Modeling Potential Increase Food Rescue
Check out these great resources:
Are you interested in increasing food donations in your community? This toolkit will show you why you should donate your food, how to do it, and how you are protected by federal and state law when you do so.
Are you trying to educate someone about the benefits of donating their food? Whether it’s your local school or town office, or even just a family friend, using this pre-made presentation might help!
Solution 5 Challenge Spotlight
– Excerpt from Executive Summary, NRDC Report: Modeling Potential Increase Food Rescue
What Is the Untapped Food Donation Potential?
“With support from The Rockefeller Foundation, The Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC) has explored the potential to keep good food from being discarded through increased food rescue in three cities: Denver, New York City and Nashville. For instance, just how big is the as-yet untapped supply of surplus, potentially rescuable food among consumer-facing businesses located within each city? What additional investments in food rescue infrastructure would be needed for a city to more fully tap that potential? And if it did so, how far could a city go in addressing unmet food needs among its residents?”
Want to Get in Touch with Us?
Want to get involved? Take a moment to fill out this quick form so that someone from the Food Rescue MAINE program can reach out to you.
