DETROIT (WXYZ) — A new program in southwest Detroit's Delray neighborhood is working to rescue surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away and distribute it to families in need across metro Detroit.
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Thousands of pounds of fresh produce that doesn't meet retail standards, but is still perfectly edible, is being sorted, packed, and shipped to food pantries throughout the region.
"The charitable food system is seeing a higher demand than it's ever seen. There are more people asking for food from the charitable food system than at the peak of the pandemic," said Chad Techner, founder of Metro Food Rescue.
Metro Food Rescue has partnered with the national organization Sharing Excess to address both food waste and hunger in the Detroit area. Their warehouse, located across from Detroit's Produce Terminal, serves as a hub for collecting and distributing surplus food.
"We're throwing away over 40% of our food supply in the United States, more than enough food to feed everybody who's hungry," said Evan Ehlers of Sharing Excess.
The organization's focus is on rescuing produce that vendors consider not good enough to sell, but is still nutritious and edible. This includes items that might be slightly smaller or have minor imperfections.
WEB EXTRA: Evan Ehlers of Sharing Excess talks about using surplus food
"Sometimes it's a little bit smaller, like this wouldn't be perfect for retail, but you can still make a meal out of it. This is something that you can cut up for soup, or tacos, or a salad. We shouldn't be letting this slip through the cracks when we have such a high rate of food insecurity in Detroit and across America," Ehlers said.
Cathleen Anderson, a volunteer for Madison Heights Food Pantry, sees the direct impact of this partnership on the community they serve.
"We have about 130 people that come on Saturday. They pull up the cars, we bring the boxes that are already made for them," Anderson said. "The food is so important to these people, and they love to see it when we have vegetables or fruits because they can't afford those in the stores anymore."
The initiative is funded in part by grants from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the Berman Foundation, the Delta Dental Foundation, the DTE Foundation, the MacGregor Fund, and the City of Detroit American Rescue Plan Act funds. Since opening two months ago, Metro Food Rescue and Sharing Excess have provided more than 617,000 pounds of food to families in metro Detroit.
Their goal is to save and distribute approximately 5 million pounds of food annually.
For Techner, this work is deeply personal.
"I have four little kids of my own, and I can't imagine the anguish of not being able to feed your kids. It was just something that bothered me so much that I knew I needed to be part of the solution," Techner said.
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