As we approach Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an annual day of service, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the legacy of a man who dedicated his life to service and equality. While not all of us can be leaders who devote our lives to righting injustices, we can certainly embody the spirit of service in our daily lives, more than just one day a year. One simple yet impactful way to contribute is through incorporating volunteering into our schedules, and the 412 Food Rescue app is making it easier than ever to be a part of positive change–one rescue at a time.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Embracing this philosophy doesn’t necessarily require grand gestures; sometimes, it’s about integrating small acts of kindness into our daily routines. Building volunteering into your schedule not only benefits your community, but also enhances your own sense of purpose and fulfillment.
The 412 Food Rescue App Makes Volunteering Easy
In our fast-paced lives, finding time to volunteer can be a challenge, and often gets relegated to one day every few months (at best). And serving once every few months is great! But many of us feel driven to do more and make an even greater impact, especially when the media we consume has no shortage of dire stories about the state of our climate and the desperate need felt by people in our communities.
But jobs, families, errands, kids…life is a lot. And it leaves little time for us to be the servant leaders we want to be. Food recovery–picking up surplus food from retailers such as your local grocery store, and driving it a mile down the road to a nonprofit serving the community–offers an opportunity to weave service into our daily or weekly routine. It can be done during a morning or evening commute, with kids in the car between school or sports or lessons, on weekday lunch breaks, or on Saturday mornings as we head out to brunch. The 412 Food Rescue app puts the power to serve in the palm of your hand, and it makes it easy to act on the inclination we all have to help our communities.
“What I love about doing food rescues with the app is you can help out your community every day, in no time at all.”
– #FoodRescueHero Becca
How It Works:
Simple Sign-Up: Getting started with the 412 Food Rescue app is a breeze. Just download the app, create an account, and you’re ready to make a difference in under two minutes.
Flexibility: The app offers food rescues to be completed in varying time frames during the day, making it easy for you to claim a rescue ahead of time that fits within your schedule. With flexible options, you can choose rescues that fit naturally into your daily routine, whether it’s during your morning commute, lunch break, evenings, or weekends.
Preview Routes: Before claiming a food rescue, you can not only view available rescues on a map to choose one most convenient for you, but also preview the entire route from start (food donor site) to finish (nonprofit distribution site).
“I absolutely love my weekly rescue from GetGo! It’s right on my way to work in the morning, so I’m able to snag their extra food from over the weekend and deliver it to a local senior center before starting my workday!” – #FoodRescueHero Karen
See Your Impact: With data built right into the app, you can see your cumulative impact from completing food rescues – from pounds of food rescued, to meal equivalency and CO2 emissions mitigated.
One Rescue at a Time
You don’t need a cape to be a hero; you just need a willingness to contribute. 412 Food Rescue gives you that opportunity with ease of time and location. Each food rescue may seem like a small act, but collectively, they add up to significant positive change.
By incorporating routine volunteering into our lives, we honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and embody the values of compassion and community that he so passionately championed. The 412 Food Rescue app is a tool that empowers us to make a tangible impact, reminding us that we can all do our part, one rescue at a time.
Even if you aren’t able to complete a food rescue this week, any act of service–no matter how small–contributes to the collective effect of fostering positive change. The cumulative impact of small acts of service is significant in building stronger and more compassionate communities.
