Food Rescue US - South Florida

40% of all food is wasted, yet in Miami-Dade County, an estimated 13.6% or more than 1 in 10 people experienced food insecurity and hunger in 2022. Access to food is a basic need, and if it goes unmet, people experience physical and emotional consequences, including increased risk of chronic physical and mental health issues such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, depression, and anxiety. Food Rescue US - South Florida supports individuals, homeless, and families by providing fresh, nutritious, perishable food directly same day to local agencies that are already integrated with the under-resourced communities that they serve. When people experiencing food insecurity know where their next meal is coming from, they can turn their focus to caring for their families or securing housing, work, and more.

Simultaneously, food waste is an environmental and climate crisis. Food that ends up in landfills and decomposes releases harmful methane which contributes to climate change. Using our web-based app technology, Food Rescue US - South Florida offers local businesses a way to repurpose their excess food and save all fees associated with having it removed. We make it easy for food donors by allowing them to pick their schedules and provide varying amounts of food.

Our model is unique because of the Food Rescue US web-based app, our large volunteer base in South Florida, and our direct transfer model. These aspects of our model make it adaptable and enable us to rescue small to large amounts of food from an array of food donors, from bakeries and restaurants to convention centers, including rescuing 60+ lbs. of chicken from Kiki On The River to rescuing 65,000+ lbs. of excess food from the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix in May 2023 at Miami Gardens. We don't have a warehouse so don't store or sort our donations and instead direct deliver immediately to the local groups in need. The local community agency partners we provide for serve food-insecure children, families, veterans, immigrants, the homeless, and seniors.  

Our volunteers interact personally with the food donors and the receiving agencies and build one one-on-one relationships that are inspiring and rewarding to all .