The Salvation Army recently recognized Denison’s Food Recovery Network for their great work so far this year. Food Recovery Network is the largest student movement against food waste and hunger in America. This organization takes surplus food that would otherwise be wasted and gives it to hunger fighting partner agencies.
At Denison, students recover the surplus food from both the Huffman and Curtis Dining Halls by packaging it, weighing it and putting it in a freezer or fridge. Food is then picked up regularly by Community Partners such as Haven Men’s Shelter and The Salvation Army in order to serve people in need.
“Food waste has been a global issue that challenges social, economic and environmental aspects. By packing and weighing surplus food, we can not only help people who need food, but also track our own food use in dining halls so that chefs can adjust the amount of food and therefore reduce food waste from the root,” said Tianyi Zhang ‘20, chair of the Denison Chapter of the Food Recovery Network.
According to the Food Recovery Network official website, since 2011, they have recovered 2.7 million pounds of food, donated 2.2 million meals and prevented 2.4 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.
Denison has been composting waste on campus since 2006. By donating leftovers to local charity organizations, the Denison Food Recovery Network is taking small steps for the fight against hunger. Last semester, they recovered 2,200lbs of food.
Please be mindful of the compost bins in Huffman and Curtis. A little can go a long way and help those less fortunate.