In November, the local perishable food rescue organization hit a mark of 7 million pounds of food delivered to its Houston charity partners since 2015, the organization announced Nov. 29.
The food rescue nonprofit, which looks to prevent edible surplus food from being sent to the landfill by redirecting it to Houstonians in need at over 90 local charities, has partnered with over 400 food donors across Houston to pick up up unsold and unserved food, and delivers it the same day in refrigerated vans to its charity partners at no cost, according to the announcement.
“Although we have grown tremendously, there is still so much need and food going to waste,” Second Servings founder and President Barbara Bronstein said in the announcement. “More than 20% of Houstonians struggle to have enough to eat, yet nearly 40% of the available food supply ordinarily goes to waste. We look forward to continuing to expand our food rescue operations to support our community and the environment.”
The nonprofit currently rescues food from donors such as Trader Joe’s, Kroger and Whole Foods Market, and manufacturers and distributors such as Antone’s Po’Boys and Oak Farms Dairy as well as sports venues, hotels and more, according to the announcement. That rescued food helps nourish approximately 175,000 Houstonians in need each year.
The milestone comes after the nonprofit moved from its former location in Bellaire in mid-May to a more secure location on Knight Road, in Houston. That move came after five catalytic converters were stolen from four of the nonprofit's refrigerated vans, said a Second Servings spokesperson.
The move has also allowed Second Servings to expand its operations and team, which has been able to deliver more than twice the amount of food in 2020 as it did in 2019, according to the spokesperson. Over the last year, the nonprofit added 45 new food donors, 15 new charity sites, and three new full-time team members, including a food partnership specialist, marketing coordinator, and logistics assistant.
Second Servings continues its mission during Giving Tuesday and encourages donations of $7, $70, $700 or $7,000 to support the nonprofit’s goal of expanding its operations.
