We have all seen enough TV specials talking about how much food gets wasted in America. And yet, despite this excess of food, that ends up getting thrown away, there are still millions of people in our country who are struggling to put food at their family’s table. This predicament is quite prevalent in our very own Fairfield county. Our Gold Coast is not so “golden” for many amongst us.
For years, I have heard about how many of the New York city restaurants have joined forces to stop the waste and get the excess food into the hands of people who really need it. It’s a monumental effort. But with perfect synergy of all who are involved in it, it has become one of New York city’s success stories.
I am so very excited to learn about a similar effort that has recently started in Fairfield county. Community Plates is a fantastic group effort to bring excess food, from food purveyors in our area, into the hands of establishments that are struggling to help those in need. This organization is unique because they are keeping their administrative and overhead costs down by enrolling the help of “volunteers”. Restaurants and grocery stores who volunteer to give away their excess food. People who volunteer their time to pick up this food from various sources and drive it to the shelters, food pantries and soup kitchens etc.
The idea is simple: There is a brilliant online system in place where volunteers can log on and sign up for food runs whenever they have time to spare. There are no obligations and no pressure. Each person can get involved to the extent that he or she is comfortable with. Sign up for once a week, two times a week, whenever you have time ….whatever works for you – how simple is that?!!!
Just a few months young in Fairfield County, Community Plates has successfully enrolled many of the area’s major grocery stores and restaurants to join in this effort to end hunger in Fairfield county. I am sure more will join in the coming months.
At this time, what Community Plates desperately needs is food-runners: folks who are willing to drive this donated food to the local organizations who are trying to help out the needy.
This is a call to everyone reading this article.
Please visit http://communityplates.org/ to volunteer your time or donate money to help this effort. Every little bit you can do will help this amazing cause.
Thanks so much for your help in getting the word out about Community Plates! Hunger in the U.S. just makes no sense and articles like this really make a difference.
What’s most exciting is that our food runners get good food DIRECTLY where it is needed. Our app allows us to speed up the process of getting the most food to where it can be in someone’s stomach or pantry without having to be handled and warehoused in between. This is especially important because of our focus on delivering FRESH foods. Since fresh foods have a limited lifespan, our direct transfer model is crucial. The sooner we get the food delivered the more likely someone in need gets the most nutrition possible.
Thanks again for starting the conversation here in this space!
My pleasure, Kevin.
I have signed up and am excited to help whenever I can.
-Fairfield County Foodie