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FAQ

Do you have a question or need more information?

Read our Frequently Asked Questions below.

Volunteer FAQ's

How do I signup to volunteer with Leftovers?

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Leftovers Foundation! We post all of our volunteer opportunities on our Rescue Food App. Instructions for downloading and using the app can be found here.

You can watch a tutorial video on how to use the app here.

If you have additional questions about using the app, contact us.

What if the service agency listed on the app is closed or won’t accept the donation?

Please go to your route in the app and select the information tab (it is on the right side, next to the tabs providing info about the donor and service agency). This will list options for where to take the food.

What do I do if the app gives me an error message or isn’t working?
Please try the following:
  1. Make sure the app is up-to-date (check the App Store or Google Play for updates).
  2. Make sure that cellular data is turned on for the Rescue Food App by double checking in your phone’s settings.
  3. Try logging out and closing the app, and then sign in again.
  4. Delete and re-download the app.
If you have tried all of the above and you are still having issues, please email us at [email protected] with a description of the problem and screenshots, if possible, and we will try our best to get to the bottom of it!
Can I take photos while volunteering?

We encourage volunteers to take photos while picking up donations. You can upload a photo on the app when you complete your route.

 

PLEASE NOTE: to respect the privacy and sensitivity of the service agencies, do not take photos at the dropoff points.

Do I need any supplies or special equipment to volunteer?

We have scales, food thermometers, tote bags, and t-shirts, free for volunteers, no matter how many routes you have completed. Supplies are optional and are not required to volunteer, provided you bring your own mask.

  • Scales are used to measure the weight of donations — this data is important for us to track our impact! If you don’t have a supplied scale, a bathroom scale works as well. If you are able to guess the weight of objects well, then that is another option.
  • Thermometers are only required for pickups with a cooler icon in the app. This icon indicates that you may be picking up refrigerated or frozen items. AHS requires that we record the temperature of these items to ensure that they are being transported safely (detailed instructions on this can be found in Appendix C of our Donated Food Guidelines).

Service Agency FAQ's

How can my organization access food donations with Leftovers?
Fill out the agency questionnaire here on our website and one of our team members will be in touch with you!
What types of food donations does Leftovers redirect to service agencies?

This depends on what our food donors have to donate and varies from week to week. Some donors are more predictable (e.g., bakeries will donate bread and sometimes treats), while others are much more unpredictable (e.g., grocers may have an entire case of yogourt one week and an entire case of bananas the next).

How do you ensure the safety of food being donated?
All of our food donors and volunteers have read and agreed to abide by AHS’ Guidelines for the Distribution of Donated Foods as well as our Leftovers Donated Food Guidelines. Leftovers will redistribute food that is past its ‘best before date,’ but we won’t redistribute food that is past its ‘expiry date.’ For clarification on this, please read Appendix B in our Donated Food Guidelines.

Food Donor FAQ's

How do I donate food?
Fill out our donor agreement and one of our team members will be in touch to get you setup for donation pickups!
What kind of food can we donate?
We use a general quality-standard: If you would eat it, we will rescue it. For a detailed description of foods that can and cannot be donated, check out AHS’ Guidelines for the Distribution of Donated Foods, as well as Leftovers Donated Food Guidelines.
Is there liability associated with donating food?

There is a common misconception that a donor is liable if someone gets sick from the food they donated. The Charitable Donation of Food Act (Alberta) and the Food Donations Act (Manitoba) protects donors from liability associated with the donation of food. As such, there is no liability associated with donating food.

Can we get a tax receipt for donating food?

We can issue tax receipts for some food donations! Our tax receipt policy can be found here. Don’t hesitate to contact Leftovers if you have any questions.

Home Harvest FAQs

What is Home Harvest?

The goal of our Home Harvest program is to ensure that excess, home-grown produce from our communities is not wasted. If you have food growing in your yard that you would like to share, we will organize volunteers to pick it up and redirect it to local service agencies.

The Home Harvest program is available through the Rescue Food App. Routes are laid out in the same way, for your convenience. Be sure to upload your photographs through the app, for the rest of our community to see.

How do I sign up to donate food from my yard?
Fill out the Harvest Request Form here on our website and someone from our team will contact you with more info!
Will Leftovers harvest the food?
Yes! You can either harvest the food yourself and we will help redirect it, or we can arrange for our volunteers to harvest the food for you. Let us know your preference when filling out the Harvest Request Form.

Monthly Donor FAQs

How do I change or cancel my recurring donation?

Please send an email to [email protected] and we will happily help you manage your recurring donation!

General FAQs

How did Leftovers start?

The Leftovers Foundation was founded by Lourdes Juan, a Calgary-based entrepreneur and philanthropist. Read more about Lourdes’ story here.

How much food is wasted in Canada?
Over 49 billion dollars worth of food is wasted in Canada every year. This value is based on avoidable food waste – from production, processing and manufacturing, distribution, retail, consumer, and hotels, restaurants and institutions.
Where does the majority of food waste come from?

Most avoidable food waste occurs during the processing and manufacturing stage of the food supply chain – a value of over 20 billion dollars. However, the second largest value in avoidable food waste comes from the consumer stage – over 10 billion dollars.

What are some tips for being conscious about food waste in our own homes?
  1. Shop smart and realistically
  • Buy only what you need and keep track of what’s in your fridge before you go shopping – so you won’t double up on products you don’t need.
  • Plan out your meals by writing a detailed shopping list.
  • Purchasing locally sourced produce and food from local farmer’s markets also helps!

  1. Make the freezer your friend
  • You can freeze just about anything to give it a longer life.

  1. Only take what you can eat
  • At all-you-can-eat buffets, take only what you can eat.
  • When making food at home, keep it in mind to make meals reasonably portioned – which will also help to prevent food waste.
 
  1. Keep track of what you throw away
  • This will help you figure out which food items you’re wasting on a regular basis.
  • Adding dollar signs to what you throw away will add value to what is being wasted.
Where can I access food as an individual or family?

If you are an individual or family inquiring about food access, please use this online resource.

Contact Us

Do you have a question or need more information that you couldn’t find in our FAQ?

Please fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you.

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General

Address: Unit 4, 1925 39 Ave NE, T2E 6W7, Calgary AB

Calgary

Address: Unit 4, 1925 39 Ave NE, T2E 6W7, Calgary AB

Edmonton

Winnipeg

Address: Unit 2, 585 Jarvis Avenue, R2W 3B2, Winnipeg MB

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Kin Volunteer

We’re currently recruiting volunteers who want to help serve coffee and be a part of a fun new social initiative.

  • Volunteer shifts are 4 hours long
  • Shifts are either 7am-11am or 11am-3pm
  • 2 people are needed per shift, so sign up with your partner or a friend
  • You can volunteer as little or as much as you’d like
  • Sign-ups will be live on the Leftovers Rescue Food app soon

There will be a mandatory in-person training for all new Kin volunteers. This training will be brief, but will go over setup & tear down, food safety, POS terminal instruction and PWYW info.

If you’re interested in volunteering, please send an email to [email protected] expressing which shift and dates you’re interested in covering.

Volunteer

*Please note that all Kin volunteers need to be vaccinated as per YMCA and AHS Covid Policy.*

Learn more about Kin

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Friday, September 30th

Today we are observing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We encourage you to read the 94 Calls to Action and commit to working towards at least one of them.

94 Calls to Action

You can also donate to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

Donate

COVID-19 Guidelines - Growers

Hello Growers,
THANK YOU for your commitment to reducing food waste and helping those experiencing food insecurity!
Below are some COVID guidelines to keep in mind when requesting a harvest:
  • CANCEL YOUR HARVEST REQUEST if you and/or someone that you have been in contact with is not feeling well, has travelled within 14 days, has been in close contact with a confirmed case of the Coronavirus, or are awaiting test results.
  • If you choose to keep some of the harvested food, please WASH IT BEFORE CONSUMING.
  • Please avoid contact with harvest volunteers. If you do interact with them in person, please ensure you MAINTAIN PHYSICAL DISTANCE AND WEAR A MASK. 
If you have any questions at all, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you so much for your help and willingness to be there for our community!

COVID-19 Guidelines

VolunteersGrowers
Hello Volunteers,
THANK YOU for your commitment to reducing food waste and helping those experiencing food insecurity!
Below are some COVID guidelines to keep in mind while harvesting on behalf of Home Harvest:
  • You must SIGN A WAIVER prior to attending a harvest
  • Volunteers who sign up in the app must keep a record of everyone who attends each harvest with them so that they can be notified if needed for contact-tracing purposes
  • Please WEAR A MASK throughout the harvest and WASH YOUR HANDS/USE HAND SANITIZER before and after the harvest (and during, if necessary). Contact [email protected] if you’d like a reusable mask.
  • PHYSICAL DISTANCING MUST BE PRACTICED AT ALL TIMES. Please ensure you maintain physical distance from individuals not in your cohort, including other harvest volunteers and growers. 
  • DO NOT HARVEST FOOD if you and/or someone that you have been in close contact with is not feeling well, has travelled within 14 days, has been in contact with a confirmed case of the Coronavirus, or are awaiting test results.
  • SANITIZE SURFACES you come in contact with (fences, gates, tools, equipment) before and after the harvest.
  • LEAVE NO TRACE. Please take home any sanitizing equipment, masks and garbage created throughout the pick. 
  • Practice NO CONTACT DROP OFFS at agencies (ensure that the food is in a safe/covered area).
  • Bags or boxes that you are using to contain/transport the harvested food do not need to be sterilized, but please ensure they are clean.
Please Note: Volunteers are not responsible for washing fruit before donation to charities. Charities that accept fruit donations will be responsible for fruit washing before food preparation and/or eating.
If you have any questions at all, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you so much for your help and willingness to be there for our community!
Hello Growers,
THANK YOU for your commitment to reducing food waste and helping those experiencing food insecurity!
Below are some COVID guidelines to keep in mind when requesting a harvest:
  • CANCEL YOUR HARVEST REQUEST if you and/or someone that you have been in contact with is not feeling well, has travelled within 14 days, has been in close contact with a confirmed case of the Coronavirus, or are awaiting test results.
  • If you choose to keep some of the harvested food, please WASH IT BEFORE CONSUMING.
  • Please avoid contact with harvest volunteers. If you do interact with them in person, please ensure you MAINTAIN PHYSICAL DISTANCE AND WEAR A MASK. 
If you have any questions at all, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you so much for your help and willingness to be there for our community!

COVID-19 Update

Hello Leftovers Partners and Volunteers,

Your commitment to reducing food waste and increasing food access in our community is so incredibly valued – THANK YOU!

Due to COVID-19, many businesses are temporarily shutting their doors and cancelling events. As a result, we have seen a significant change in the frequency and volume of donations. At the same time, access to food has never been more difficult for many members of our community. Whether it’s students who have been isolated from their only meals of the day, seniors who are at-risk every time they leave home, or the many who have recently lost their jobs due to this crisis, we are seeing an unprecedented need for access to food.

  • Please ensure that all donations are covered/wrapped.
  • Please wear a mask and wash your hands/use sanitizer frequently when handling food donations. Do not touch the food itself. Contact [email protected] if you’d like a reuseable mask.
  • Practice no-contact drop offs at agencies (ensure that the food is in a safe/covered area).
  • Do not rescue food if you and/or someone that you have been in contact with is not feeling well, has travelled within 14 days, or been in contact with a confirmed case of the Coronavirus.

We are posting changes/cancellations to food donation routes on the app as they come in. All routes that are posted on the app are as up-to-date as possible. If a donor or agency tells you they’d like to cancel or change hours, please email this feedback to [email protected] (Calgary), [email protected] (Edmonton) or [email protected] (Winnipeg) so we can update the app.

If you have any questions at all, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you so much for your help and willingness to be there for our community!