Good Food Project

Video: Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Steelers

At the Good Food Project, we stabilize bulk food donations into grocery bags of food and ready to eat meals to increase food access.

412 Food Rescue’s Good Food Project is located inside the Food & Energy Hub in Millvale. In this unique, shared space we transform surplus foods into healthy, heat-and-eat meals and grocery bags of nutritious food to be distributed to neighbors experiencing food insecurity.

Kitchen Prep

In response to large volume donations of fresh food to 412 Food Rescue, the Good Food Project was born in 2019. Helmed by Chef Greg Austin in our Zero Waste Kitchen, we stabilize and transform surplus food into healthy, frozen meals. Using the MyPlate model as a guide, our meals provide nutritious-rich and delicious meals that are prepared and delivered with dignity. Each meal is housed in compostable packing and is made up of recovered, good food which would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.

Get Involved: Up to three people at a time can volunteer. No formal kitchen training is required. Must be 16 years of age to participate, and under 18 must have a parent or guardian present.

Monday through Thursday 10am-3pm
Friday 10am-2pm

View available Kitchen Prep shifts

Grocery Bagging Program

Launched in October of 2021, the Grocery Bagging Program, in partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, leverages large donations of fresh, frozen, and non-perishable items from local grocery warehouses to provide nutrition assistance to our communities experiencing food insecurity. After repackaging bulk foods into individual servings, over 500 grocery bags are packed and loaded onto our truck each week to be distributed over various HACP locations.

Get Involved: Up to eight people at a time can volunteer. Participants MUST be able to lift ~25 lbs. Must be 16 years of age to participate, and under 18 must have a parent or guardian present.

Tuesday 12pm-4pm
Wednesday 10am-1:30pm

View available Grocery Bagging shifts

Haven’t volunteered before?

Complete the form below to receive emails about volunteer opportunities at the Good Food Project and the link to our sign up calendar.

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I understand all volunteers and staff must have their initial vaccinations against COVID-19 to volunteer at the Good Food Project.*
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I understand all volunteers and staff must be comfortable lifting 20 lbs and standing for long periods of time at the Good Food Project.*
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I understand all volunteers and staff must be 16 years of age or older; minors ages 16-17 must be accompanied by an adult.*
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Interested in financially supporting the Good Food Project?

Your contributions are essential to our operations and make a difference in the fight against food waste and hunger.

Donation form

About the Millvale Food + Energy Hub

412 Food Rescue’s Good Food Project found a home at 112 East Sherman Street in 2019 via the reformed Moose Lodge. The building is a living showcase of collaboration as it houses several non-profit partners: Owned by New Sun Rising and shared by Sprezzatura Cafe & Catering, Fracktracker, and The Food Trust, the building displays a community kitchen, cafe, event, and training space powered through solar energy.

Inside, The Good Food Project works to further 412 Food Rescues sustainability goals by maintaining a zero-waste status through the help of tools like Leanpath, a tracking and measurement-focused technology solution that compiles and analyzes data to illuminate an operation’s food waste stream. While Leanpath works with thousands of kitchens around the world, the Good Food Project application is trend-setting as it starts out with surplus food, using ingredients that would otherwise have gone to waste.

This tracking program allows for data-informed decisions and goal setting to acutely target areas of need and respond promptly. To further reduce any building waste, Zero Waste Wrangler is incorporated to meet any composting needs and actualize a low-impact operation.