Rescuing edible food surplus is just one part of the food recovery process. 

Equally as important is coordinating when that food is rescued and where exactly that food will end up - in the freezers of a food bank? To a local senior center? An afterschool program?

Ideally, rescued food should be matched appropriately with a recipient that can adequately handle and distribute it. 

Organizations like Food Connect are at the forefront of addressing this exact issue - they specialize in connecting fresh food surplus with those that can benefit from it the most. 

Roughly 10 years ago, Food Connect’s CEO, Megha Kulshreshtha, formally established the organization after years of being personally involved in food rescue efforts throughout Philadelphia. As a first-generation American, and someone personally familiar with food insecurity, Megha was astonished to see how huge volumes of fresh food (and food surplus) and food-insecure populations could exist side by side in the United States.

Megha began reaching out to and partnering with local restaurants to help them get their surplus food rescued, and at the same time, began fostering connections with local non-profit organizations who worked directly with food-insecure populations. 

After quitting her full-time job to expand this new Food Connect project - the endeavor was able to truly grow into the organization it is today.

In 2024, with the help of their proprietary app, Food Connect now operates in major metropolitan areas across the country - including throughout the California Bay Area, Kansas City (MO), Philadelphia (PA), and even parts of New Jersey. 

Through the hard work of their dedicated staff and strong network of community partners, Food Connect is able to rescue and re-distribute nearly 50,000 lbs of fresh food surplus each week.

An overwhelming majority of the food that Food Connect rescues is perishable - they focus mainly on produce and prepared items, as these types of items have the shortest shelf lives and should be consumed (or properly stored) as soon as possible.

Additionally - these types of food items are typically the most nutrient-dense, highlighting an urgent need to not only rescue said food, but also to re-circulate it back into the community.

Depending on the size, type, cultural relevance, and format of a donation (boxes, pallets, meals, etc.), Food Connect will find a recipient partner(s) in their network who is able to best re-distribute, store, and/or serve that food. By tailoring their donations to the needs and capabilities of their recipients, Food Connect is able to ensure that all rescued food is utilized as effectively as possible. 

To better serve and understand the various community and recipient partners that they work with, Food Connect staff also makes a point to volunteer at these same organizations to assist with their meal or grocery programs. 

Food Connect’s team performs around 150 weekly food rescues. In addition to these food rescues, they also have their own food distribution programs - including home deliveries, allergy meal deliveries, and services that provide customized Food as Medicine groceries for patients in need of prescription produce (PRx).

Alex Jackson, National Director of Programs and Logistics at Food Connect, notes that using paid food rescuers (drivers) rather than volunteers is a key part of maintaining a smooth operation.

Even though he notes that volunteers are invaluable in the overall food recovery process, using paid staff for food rescue helps to create a sense of consistency and familiarity with both their donors and recipient partners. 

Their director also notes that he has a personal goal of having Food Connect reach 10,000,000 lbs of rescued food surplus per year - and more broadly, he hopes to see food recovery become implemented at a federal level!

At the moment, Alex notes that some of the biggest obstacles to expanding food recovery involve prospective food donors not having budgets for such services, as well as a general lack of knowledge regarding liability as it relates to food donations.

Replate & Food Connect

Food Connect has been one of Replate’s longtime food rescue and logistics partners. We collaborate with one another to complete both large and small-scale food rescues - including donors like Imperfect Foods, Global Gourmet, and Kaiser Permanente (SFO).

To date, Food Connect has rescued close to 100,000 lbs of food surplus through Replate’s partner organization program! We’re extremely grateful to be connected with such an impactful organization, and we hope that our partnership can help to encourage more collaboration in the food recovery space.

Organizations like Food Connect are at the forefront of the fight against food insecurity and food waste - through the hard work and dedication of their staff and partners, they, in their own words, “bridge the gaps in our food system to build healthier communities”.

Thank you Food Connect team for all that you do!

Support Food Connect and learn more about them on their website!

You can find more information on our partner organization program here.