The USDA estimates 30% to 40% of our national food supply goes to waste each year. That waste amounts to 72 billion pounds of perfectly edible food sitting in landfills– enough food to feed roughly 2 billion people. Yet, 1.5 million people here in the Bay Area and 35 million people across the country worry about where their next meal will come from.
How can we fix a broken system that allows so much to go to waste when so many are in need? Feeding America has created a solution with MealConnect, an app developed to reduce waste by delivering surplus food to neighbors in need.
All 200 Feeding America network food banks are automatically enrolled in the platform’s database, allowing folks anywhere in the country to donate excess food to local nonprofits. Anyone with food to give, from restaurants to retailers and growers, can use MealConnect to turn would-be waste into a win for the community. Upon logging in to the free app on any smartphone or computer, donors can post their surplus food and coordinate with a local food bank on pick-up.
Donations made through MealConnect are tax-deductible and the app offers a built in tax benefit calculator. Within the app users can also find information on donation guidelines and view live tracking of deliveries.
For a quick overview of how the app works, please see our MealConnect fact sheet. If you’re interested in the opportunity to fight hunger while reducing waste, visit https://mealconnect.org/ to learn more or download the app to get started today!
