The logistics of food rescue - knowing where there's food that needs to be picked up and when, what kind of food, which nearby nonprofit partners can take the food, and volunteers to do the delivery - is a complicated web of intricate details managed by a superstar team: 412 Food Rescue dispatchers.
At the heart of 412 Food Rescue’s impactful operations lies our dedicated dispatch team: a group of passionate individuals who weave intricate threads connecting food donors, volunteers, and nonprofits – all to continually increase food access in the Greater Pittsburgh region. This group, led by Logan Laizure, keeps this nuanced web of participating partners operating like a well-oiled machine.
Each day, our dispatch team navigates an ever-changing landscape, swiftly placing incoming donations, responding to calls, texts, and emails, and addressing volunteer concerns. They are the hub of our day-to-day communication infrastructure, maintaining a seamless flow of information between local food rescue partners, and pushing to continually optimize efficiency and community impact.
Beyond just managing logistics, the dispatch team builds community connections, and meets tangible needs by understanding the nuances of each community served. They are instrumental in translating our commitment to empathy, equity, and dignity into action in the fight against food insecurity and injustice.
As we delve into Logan Laizure’s insights below, join us in celebrating the unwavering commitment and profound impact of our dispatch team.
“Our team handles all incoming donations, calls, texts, emails, volunteer issues, and coordinates all of that information with other departments in the organization to make each process smoother and more efficient. We operate in the moment and adjust quickly to address any issues or new information to ensure we’re providing the best support possible for our volunteers, donors, and nonprofit partners.
Our team absolutely loves this work and we want to make sure all of our time is spent coordinating and feeding our neighbors to the best of our ability. Direct action, equity, empathy, and community involvement is our mantra to combat the issues and systematic failures that plague our communities in hunger and injustice.
We strive to ensure that our neighbors who are struggling are being heard, helped, fed, and treated with respect. If there is a hand reaching out, we want them to know that we are here and ready to help.”
– Logan Laizure
At the heart of 412 Food Rescue lies the mission to help create a future where everyone has access to fresh, nutritious food that is dietarily and culturally appropriate, affordable, and accessible in a dignified manner. With the incredible support of our volunteers, partners, and funders, our team continues to work on breaking down barriers to food access, supporting more resilient and caring communities where no one has to go to bed hungry.
As we work together to uplift our neighbors and contribute to the well-being of our community and climate, our dispatch team stands as a beacon of dedication, ready to assist during every step of the food rescue journey.
Your collaboration and kindness empower us to keep making a meaningful difference, and for that, we are profoundly thankful.
Dispatch Team Features
“Hello! My name is Daniel Hash, and I am a proud Dispatch Coordinator for 412 Food Rescue. Being able to provide much-needed food for the community while also saving this food from ending up in the landfill is both an honor and a blessing. I have had a long passion for resource recovery and reuse with many nonprofits over the years, including Food Not Bombs, Urban Ore Ecopark, and Pittsburgh Filmmakers. Please join us on this journey as we strive to end the age of waste!”
– Daniel Hash
“It is through building and strengthening mutual aid networks and communities that we can enact change. This has been reinforced on a daily basis in my role as a dispatch coordinator. Not only is it pivotal that we do so, but clearly necessary. We cannot let our neighbors go hungry when there is perfectly good food that can be saved. It is a heartfelt thing, being here to ask ‘How did your rescue go?’ because what we all do – us at dispatch, the volunteer, the donor, our nonprofit partners – matters. One person can and does make a difference.”
– Amanda Pagniello
