412 Food Rescue facts for kids
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| Formation | 2015 |
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| Founder | Leah Lizarondo, Gisele Barreto Fetterman |
| Founded at | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Type | 501(c)(3) |
| Headquarters | 6140 Station Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206 |
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Staff (2024)
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36 |
412 Food Rescue is a special group in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. They work to stop hunger by making sure good food doesn't get wasted. Since 2015, this group has used volunteers to deliver extra food. This food goes to people who need it, instead of being thrown away. They have moved over three million pounds of food. They use a special phone app called Food Rescue Hero to do this. This app is now used in many places across the US and Canada.
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How 412 Food Rescue Helps
412 Food Rescue has a unique way of working. They mostly rely on volunteers to move food quickly. Their system connects places with extra food, like grocery stores and restaurants, with other groups that help people. This way, food goes directly to those who don't have enough to eat.
Volunteers get messages about food pickups and deliveries using the Food Rescue Hero app. This means 412 Food Rescue doesn't need big warehouses to store food. They get fresh, healthy food and volunteers deliver it right away. The food goes to groups that then give it to people needing food.
The Story of 412 Food Rescue
How It Started
The group was started in March 2015 by Leah Lizarondo and Gisele Barreto Fetterman. Leah was inspired by a place called the Free Store in Braddock. Gisele helped run the Free Store, which gave away extra clothes and items to people for free.
When 412 Food Rescue began, about 14 out of every 100 people in Pittsburgh didn't have enough food. At the same time, about 31% of all food made was thrown into landfills. Leah and Gisele wanted to fix both problems. They found a way to get good food to people who needed it. At first, 412 Food Rescue used Facebook to find volunteers. Now, they use their own special app.
Making a Difference
412 Food Rescue has greatly reduced urgent requests for food help. They used to get 5 to 7 urgent calls each month, but now they get none. They are very good at picking up and delivering food, with a success rate of 98% to 99%. For example, they helped government workers who didn't get paid during the 2019 government shutdown. They set up places for these workers to get food.
Special Programs
Food Rescue Hero App
The Food Rescue Hero app helps 412 Food Rescue use thousands of volunteers. This app was launched in November 2016. It is available for both Android and Apple phones. More than 7,000 people have signed up to use the app.
When a store or restaurant wants to donate food, volunteers get an alert on the app. The alert shows details like what food there is, how much, and how far it needs to go. Volunteers use their own cars to pick up the food and take it to the group that will give it out. The app's smart system matches the food with the best place to receive it.
Hidden Harvest
The Hidden Harvest program collects fresh fruit from trees and farms that haven't been picked. They use a map that people help create, showing where to find fruits like blackberries and apples. Most of this fruit is apples, which are given to partner groups. Some apples that can't be eaten are even turned into a special drink called pommeau with the help of Wigle Whiskey.
UglyCSA
The UglyCSA program lets people buy fresh fruits and vegetables that look a little different. These foods are perfectly good to eat but might not look "perfect" for grocery stores. This helps reduce food waste and provides healthy food.
Awards and Recognition
412 Food Rescue and its founders have received many awards. Leah Lizarondo, who is the CEO and co-founder, has won several honors. These include the Pittsburgh Smart 50 honoree and Impact award in 2018. She was also named Smart Business' Person to Watch in 2017. In 2016, she was recognized as a Pittsburgh Personality You Should Know by Jekko. Pittsburgh City Paper also named her one of Pittsburghers of the Year.
In 2017, 412 Food Rescue won second place and $110,000 at the UpPrize. This was a challenge for new ideas that help society. The Pittsburgh Technology Council also named them one of the top 50 tech innovators in the region.
