The Impact of Food Recovery on People
What if instead of letting good food go to waste we ensured it reached people who could use it instead? This is the premise of our food recovery work at Spoonfuls. By intercepting just some of the nearly 40% of food that goes unsold or uneaten while it’s still good to eat, we work to reach over 370,000 of our Massachusetts neighbors facing food insecurity.
Supporting Health & Nutrition
Food recovery isn’t just about preventing waste—it’s about nourishing people. We recover and distribute enough food each week to create 80,000 meals! And 90% of the food we recover is fresh and nutrient-dense—fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat.
This is important because perishable food is the most often wasted and, owing to its usually high price tag, often overlooked by people struggling to afford food. At the same time, people facing food insecurity are at a greater risk for obesity and diet-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, which lead to increased medical bills that can make it even more difficult for someone to afford food. That fresh, healthy food is important!
Did you know?
While we’re focused on Massachusetts, here’s what we know about food recovery at scale:
It would take recovering just 42% of all the food going unsold or uneaten in the United States to feed everyone here facing food insecurity.
Offsetting Food Budgets
Most of the time, when someone is struggling to afford food, they’re struggling to afford other basic necessities, too, making tough decisions about how to spend on a small budget.
“Our clients don’t really want to go to food pantries. They have to go to feed themselves, their families, their children,” shares Tricia Price, Director of Program Support Services at AIDS Project Worcester, a Spoonfuls partner. “I see people contemplating, ‘Do I buy food or do I pay for my prescriptions? Do I buy food or pay my rent?’ Some people have to make that choice. And then when they go to the supermarket, the food is so outrageously expensive, they often can’t afford it.”
Spoonfuls’ no-cost deliveries (worth more than $10 million dollars last year alone) helped our partners and end-recipients to offset their food budgets, enabling them to allocate for other necessities.
Building Connections
Food is a center point for so many of life’s connections, celebrations, and conversations. The food Spoonfuls recovers is no exception.
There are the excess frozen turkeys we deliver after Thanksgiving, which are thawed in December to make holiday meals, the birthday cakes we distribute that help families celebrate a child’s special day, and the culturally-relevant food that ensures people can enjoy the taste of something familiar.
“Beyond addressing food insecurity, Spoonfuls’ [deliveries] have also fostered a sense of community,” shared Emely Castro, Senior Resident Services Coordinator at New Orchard Hill Estates. “Our residents help each other find specific items, share food, and even cook for one another. Spoonfuls is not only helping to prevent hunger but also bringing people together like a family.”
The food we pick up and distribute doesn’t just nourish the body – it nourishes the relationships that build community and belonging.
Service With Dignity
When we keep the dignity in food, we keep the dignity in people! Our Serv-Safe certified Food Recovery Team ensures the food we recover meets quality and safety standards. As a general rule of thumb: If we wouldn’t serve it to our friends and family, we won’t distribute it to our community.
“Spoonfuls’ deliveries mean everything,” shared staff at Transition House. “They mean people not going hungry and parents not worrying. And they provide dignity to our clients. We find most people don’t want to ask for help because they are proud. With the support of deliveries from Spoonfuls, we’re able to divvy up food to our clients without anyone feeling like they’re begging.”
In addition, we look to support people’s agency in their food choices. Experiencing food insecurity shouldn’t mean losing access to those foods that are in line with your dietary needs, culture, taste! That’s why we strive to recover a diverse mix of food in line with what our partners can use and enjoy.
You Can Make A Difference
This impact is thanks to your support. Join our efforts to minimize food waste and fight hunger by:
