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 tool kit to break down the procedures and best practices in order to get started.

In Maine, unclear and confusing laws lead to unnecessary food waste, adding up to 7 million pounds of food annually wasted within K-12 Maine school systems alone, all while 1 in 7 Maine households struggle with food insecurity.

Solution 5 Pilots:

Solution 5 Tools & Resources:

  1. Food Donation Toolkit

  2. Food Donation Toolkit Presentation

  3. Food pantry locations

  4. Food Rescue U.S.

  5. NRDC Report: Modeling Potential Increase Food Rescue

Take a look below at all of these great resources:

stock photo of three volunteers at a food rescue
Click here to read our Food Donation ToolkitAre 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.
image of a woman making a presentation to a group of people
Click here to download our Food Donation Toolkit PresentationAre 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!
Click here to find a food pantry near you!
Top view of four people having dinner together while sitting at the rustic wooden table

Click here to learn about how you can be a part of the Food Rescue MAINE food rescue program(link). 

Solution 5 Challenge Spotlight

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?”

– Excerpt from Executive Summary, NRDC Report: Modeling Potential Increase Food Rescue

Click here to read the full NRDC Report

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.

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