Pittsburgh nonprofit 412 Food Rescue saves 10 million pounds of food for needy

The nonprofit 412 Food Rescue on Tuesday announced that, over the past five years, it has redirected 10 million pounds of food that would have otherwise been wasted by serving it to those in need.

The nonprofit, which launched in March 2015, relies on a network of volunteer food recovery drivers — deemed Food Rescue Heroes — who take surplus food from grocery stores and restaurants and deliver it to food-insecure households and nonprofits. In Pittsburgh, 412 Food Rescue works with 800 food retailers, 600 nonprofit partners and over 12,000 volunteers.

During the covid-19 pandemic, the organization launched a home delivery service, as well as a Community Takeout program, which supported local restaurants while providing 15,000 meals to those in need. The organization delivered food directly to 1,500 vulnerable households — with the help of 2,800 new volunteers.

412 Food Rescue also coordinated a food delivery program that delivered food to school bus stops, bringing 24,000 meals within walking distance of students who typically rely on free and reduced lunch programs.

“We have always strived to be not just a platform, but a movement,” CEO Leah Lizarondo said. “Solving these huge problems of food waste and hunger requires all of us to stay engaged, and it has been thrilling to see our communities rise to the challenge, especially in recent months. Even amidst social distancing, we are more connected than ever.”

After saving 10 million pounds of food from waste, 412 Food Rescue is looking to do more.

“It has been a joy rescuing our first 10 million pounds of food with the people and greater Pittsburgh, and we look forward to many millions more,” Lizarondo said.

The nonprofit has set a goal of serving 100 cities by 2030 and recruiting 1 million food rescue heroes by the end of the decade.