Project Description
Organization:
Waste Not OC Coalition
Summary:
Formed in November 2012, Waste Not OC (WNOC) is a public-private partnership with the goal of eliminating hunger and reducing food waste by facilitating the donation of surplus food from food-producing facilities to local pantries. The Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), OC Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank, restaurant owner Mike Learakos, and Food Finders, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that transports excess food from food-producing facilities (hospitals, restaurants, and other businesses), created this coalition and are reaching out, educating people, and connecting with food producing facilities to donate their excess food instead of throwing the food away.
Waste Not OC’s mission is threefold:
- Increase the number of restaurants and grocery stores providing food donations.
- Identify people in need. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) selected as one of their top ten priorities in 2015 “Universal Screening for Hunger/Food Insecurity During Office Visits.” In addition, the AAP issued a policy statement addressing food insecurity.
3. Getting people to where there is food. A goggle map on our website, www.wastenotoc.org has 240 pantries identified in Orange County that can be accessed by individuals facing food insecurity.
To learn more visit the Waste Not OC Coalition website