“This is the third time this week we’ve had to turn someone away.” Andy put his hand flat against the closed door, trying not to think about how the girl’s face had fallen when he’d had to tell her they were all out of food. It seemed like every day they got a few more kids coming by, while what they had to give out stayed the same.
“I know.” Lonnie swung her feet up onto the desk with a thunk and treated the far wall to a stormy scowl. “All of the food banks are way beyond capacity right now. And with the grocery stores locking down their garbage bins like Fort Knox, even the bad options aren’t options anymore.” She sighed. “What are we going to do?”
Andy shook his head, really wishing he had an answer.
“Ugh, all of this perfectly good oat milk, and it’s just going to end up dumped in the trash.” Lily put her hands on her hips and glared down at the shopping cart filled with the boxes of alternative-to-dairy beverage she’d just pulled from the shelf. She really hated best-before dates. No one wanted to buy things that had gotten too close to the arbitrary number stamped on the top of every box, even though she knew, from experience, that things kept weeks, months, even years past their so-called date.
Chris, her shelf-stocking partner, shrugged. “Yeah, but no one wants to buy it, and what we’ve got isn’t enough for the food bank to come pick up.”
Lily let her shoulders droop, peeling off her work gloves and tossing them into the cart in defeat. “I know. But with how many people out there are going hungry, this just seems like such a waste.”
Every day, Rescue Food volunteers make the connection between service agencies supporting hungry people and local food vendors who want to keep good food out of the trash.
By helping Leftovers raise $5K before Canada Day, you connect good food with the people who need it most. To celebrate that, we’ll be marking every $500 milestone by moving our Rescue Food car along the map to unlock a little bit more of our story. At the end of the campaign, everyone who donates will get an exclusive look at the story’s final instalment. Will it be a happily-ever-after or a missed connection? Your support will make the difference—just like it does for all of our real service agency and food donor partners!
