Community Plates: Rescuing Food for the Food Insecure
Deanna Foster
We have all been there: the post-party cleanup. Whether it’s in our homes, at a community event or following a corporate function, once the party is over, we survey the stove and the table tops, assess all the uneaten food, open a large plastic trash bag and throw it all away: the extra pot of rice, the tray of untouched beans, the pan of roasted potatoes, and we think, “What a waste.”
This thought also bothered Jeff Schacher, the principal of a software company that designs web-based applications to help restaurants manage logistics, inventory and scheduling. Jeff knew, all too well, that as much as restaurants strive to eliminate waste, excess food is inevitable: diners either don’t walk through the door as planned or don’t order certain items as anticipated. Pounds of potatoes, rice and ribs that never see the outside of a pot are thrown away night after night, across the county. What a waste.
Jeff researched the idea of food rescue, saving perfectly good food from the trash and redistributing it to people in need,