Back row from left to right: Sarah, Kimberly Bone, Lindsey Stefanski, Josephine Compeau, Andrew Biro, Nebyou Mulugeta
The Food Recovery Network is an extensive network of college student groups across the nation who are passionate about fighting hunger and food waste in their communities.
UNCG’s chapter of The Food Recovery Network primarily does this through recoveries which take place at Fountain View Dining Hall on Monday and Thursday evenings.
At each recovery, a team of dedicated students package unused, prepared food (that would have otherwise been thrown away) and distribute it to those in need. Occasionally, the group will branch off campus to collect food from local Greensboro events such as the Food Truck Festival or the Folk Festival.
The food that is collected from the dining hall and any off-campus events is usually donated to the Greensboro Salvation Army but may also be delivered to other sites such as Greensboro Urban Ministries.
Aside from completing recoveries, UNCG’s chapter of The Food Recovery Network aims to spread awareness about hunger, homelessness, and food waste in the community and the nation through on-campus events, tabling, and fundraisers. Some of the events hosted this past fall semester include:
A stream clean up
Food Recovery Network partnered with UNCGreen, another on-campus organization.
A can or a non perishable food item for a cookie
where all proceeds were donated to Spartan Open Pantry after being used in Alpha Lambda Delta’s CANstruction event. The canned food drive was one of the chapter’s most successful events; they collected around 230 items including food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies.
Volunteers can participate in fighting hunger
There are also opportunities for volunteers to participate in fighting hunger in a different way aside from recoveries. For example, once or twice per semester the chapter organizes an opportunity for volunteers to go to Food Assistance Inc., an organization dedicated to feeding elderly adults in need. Volunteers package bags of food that are then delivered by volunteer drivers.
FRN Officer, Killion Webster helping pack food at the Food Assistance Inc. Warehouse.
Volunteers moving 107.3 pounds of food from the Cafeteria to a vehicle to be donated to Greensboro Salvation Army.
Officers Ozzy Naylor (left), and Kimberly Bone (right) packaging food at Food Assistance Inc. Warehouse.
Contact
If you are interested in joining the fight against food waste with the Food Recovery Network we would love to hear from you !
Please reach out to the chapter President, Madeleine Meinhold at mameinho@uncg.edu, or the chapter Vice President, Abby Gustafson at a_gustaf@uncg.edu.
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