412 Day Block Party Celebrates 10 Years of Pittsburgh-Powered Food Rescue

In the spring of 2015, a scrappy new nonprofit began frequenting restaurants and grocery stores in Pittsburgh, rescuing good food that would have been thrown out and bringing it to the neighborhoods where it was needed most. Ten years later, 412 Food Rescue is the largest volunteer food rescue organization in the U.S., and its Food Rescue Hero platform fights food waste and food insecurity across North America. On April 12, “412 Day,” Pittsburgh’s homegrown food-rescue powerhouse is throwing a free, family-friendly block party to celebrate the community that has made it all possible.

“We were founded on the principle that people are wired for good,” says 412 Food Rescue CEO Alyssa Cholodofsky, “and our community here has confirmed that belief many times over.”

More than 24,000 local volunteers have completed nearly 167,000 rescues for the organization, recovering over 25 million pounds of nutritious food (the equivalent of 21 million meals) and transporting it to a broad array of partners serving food-insecure populations, from public housing facilities, to after-school programs, to community centers. Together, they have brought fresh food within a 15-minute walk of over 180,000 people in previously under-served areas. Meanwhile, the food waste they have prevented has mitigated 69 million pounds of CO2 emissions.

“Ours is a story of regular people helping each other and working together to take on some of the biggest challenges facing our world,” adds Cholodofsky. “We’re excited to celebrate with all our supporters – and welcome even more. We want everyone to know that they have the power to be Food Rescue Heroes. So join us to honor local resilience, support food rescue efforts, and kick off the next 10 years of building a stronger, healthier community.”

Everyone is invited to 412 Day. The afternoon block party (noon – 4 p.m.) will unfold at Velum Fermentation (2120 Jane Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203), which is partnering with 412 Food Rescue to turn a recent, huge haul of rescued tomatoes into a limited-edition beer; and party-goers can also snag a souvenir pint glass with a 10th-anniversary version of the 412 Food Rescue logo.

Sponsored by Duolingo and Global Tax Management, festivities will include flash tattoos and tarot readings, games, music, food trucks, a raffle, and mascots (including newly introduced Rooty, the food rescue super-carrot). Over 30 local vendors will offer everything from salt scrubs to stickers; Millie’s Homemade will be giving out free scoops of ice cream; local artist Kait Shoeb (Paints by Kait) will do a live painting of the Pittsburgh skyline during the event, to be raffled off at the end; and a touch-a-truck experience will allow kids to explore one of 412 Food Rescue’s newly-branded fleet trucks. KDKA radio host Natalie Bencivenga will emcee with a live broadcast sharing the story of 412 Food Rescue’s decade of impact and ways for listeners to get involved.

Saturday, April 12