Words of Wisdom: Help Reduce Food Waste This Holiday Season (#412FoodRescue)

This post is sponsored by 412 Food Rescue

Most of us spent the days after Thanksgiving trying to figure out what to do with our leftovers. We are the lucky ones... We are the ones that feasted on turkey, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, whipped potatoes, etc. until we felt stuffed like the turkey we devoured. After the celebration, our kitchens were filled with leftovers and we wondered what we were going to do with them.

In the United States, 1 in 7 are hungry. According to the United Nations, if we recover all the food that is lost or wasted, we will have enough to feed all those who are hungry, four times over. For information visit the 412FoodRescue site.

It's amazing that some of us enjoy such abundance in the midst of a food crisis. Indeed, in America, the home of the free and home of the brave, a country whose last presidential election was won on the promise to make this country "great again" and yet millions of Americans suffer food insecurity. When you think about the magnitude of the problem, finding a solution can seem  so overwhelming that it can be paralyzing.

Fortunately, for those in the greater Pittsburgh area, there is a straightforward way to get food that would go unused to the people who need it most, getting involved with 412FoodRescue.
412 Food Rescue was founded as a direct response to the disconnect between food waste, hunger and environmental sustainability and it has saved over two million pounds of surplus food largely because of the efforts of volunteers like you.

Below are Five Ways to Help 412FoodRescue Reduce Food Waste this Holiday Season

1. Donate Money: It takes money to make the work happen. Donating cash to 412 Food Rescue is an easy way to ensure that good food is reaching individuals and families struggling with food insecurity, rather than landfills. (Bonus: Donations are Tax Deductible)
2. Encourage Others to Donate Money:     Do you have too more tchotchkes than you know what to do with? Ask friends and family to donate to 412 Food Rescue in your name. You can save yourself the trouble of re-gifting the gift you don’t want next year and make a difference. 
3. Host a Party:      Hosting a party with the purpose to benefit an organization is a great way to spend time with those you love and fund a good cause. 
4. Go On an Adventure and Become a #FoodRescueHero: The holiday season is often a time to reflect on what we are most grateful for and when we resolve to do more; to make a difference. Join us as we seek to spread joy, comfort, and sustenance with those who need it most. To hear about my food rescue adventure click here. If you're interested in volunteering, email: volunteer@412foodrescue.org. 
5. Commit to Reducing Your Food Waste: The holidays are a time of abundance during parties, gatherings, and get together. The key to reducing your food waste is to become more thoughtful at the grocery store and at home. To be more thoughtful this season, take these steps to reduce food waste: 1) Buy only what you need at the grocery store; 2) When you buy too many fresh vegetables, freeze the rest, 3) Pay attention to recipes (if it says it serve 4 and you only have 2 people cut the ingredients in half), 4) Keep fruits and vegetable whole and unwashed until you’re ready to use them. For more information about how to reduce food waste, visit   “Save The Food” by clicking this link.

BONUS: Download the 412 Food Rescue App (To download the app for Apple iTunes, click here. To download the app for Google Play, click here.)