A new food rescue program will help reduce food waste and support families in need in Ross County.
The program, a partnership between the Ross County Health District, Unidine Corp. and the Good Samaritan Food Pantry, aims to divert edible food from local restaurants, grocery stores and other sources to families who need it, according to a community announcement.
How it works
Food rescue is the practice of collecting surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and distributing it to people in need. The program has started with food donations from Adena Regional Medical Center's hospitality service, Unidine Corp., and delivering them to Good Samaritan Food Pantry in Chillicothe.
The first food drop took place on Feb. 26, with biweekly deliveries planned moving forward.
Jordan George, the Creating Healthy Communities coordinator for the Ross County Health District, and Sage Fout, a community health worker, have been leading the initiative. They were joined by United Way of Ross County's CEO and president Andrea Williams and community impact manager Trevor Clark, as well as Good Samaritan Food Pantry volunteer Katie Barnes and general manager Mike Thompson, to unload the first delivery.
“This is all about partnership and everybody stepping up to do the right thing,” Williams said in the announcement.
A step toward a larger goal
The effort is part of a larger goal to implement food rescue on a broader scale in Ross County. George and the United Way have been working to regenerate the Ross County Food Network, a group of community agencies and individuals partnering to address food waste and distribution.
“This pilot shows what’s possible when healthcare, nonprofits and public health work together," RCHD Health Commissioner Janelle McManis said. "Reducing food waste while improving access to nutritious foods is good for families and for our environment. We appreciate our partners’ leadership and invite other organizations to join us.”
The program aligns with the health district's Creating Healthy Communities program, which supports strategies to prevent chronic diseases through healthy eating and active living. The program is funded by the Ohio Department of Health through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Feeding America, 92 billion pounds of food go to waste each year in the United States. Laws such as the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act and the Food Donation Improvement Act provide liability protection for food donors, encouraging more businesses to participate in food rescue efforts.
Anyone interested in donating food can bring items to Good Samaritan Food Pantry at 255 N. Woodbridge Ave. in Chillicothe. Monetary donations can be made online to United Way of Ross County via unitedwayross.org/donate.
Those interested in getting involved with food rescue or the Ross County Food Network can contact George at 740-775-9652, ext. 2284, or email jgeorge@rosscountyhealth.org.