Latest news with #PotluckFoodRescue.org
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas nonprofit launches campaign to keep food cold and families fed
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A Little Rock-based nonprofit is taking bold steps to fight food waste and hunger at the same time. Potluck Food Rescue, a longtime leader in salvaging surplus food from grocery stores, restaurants, and caterers, is now facing a new challenge: keeping all that food fresh in the upcoming Arkansas heat. Central Arkansas nonprofit combating food insecurity sees rise in demand Now, they're launching a new campaign, Cool-Aid: Breaking Down Barriers to Cold Storage, to call on the community for help. 'A working refrigerator or freezer may not seem like much,' said Chris Wyman, Executive Director of Potluck Food Rescue, 'but for food rescue groups across the state, it can mean the difference between feeding a family and throwing away a meal.' In 2024, Potluck rescued more than one million pounds of edible food, transforming what would have been waste into over 800,000 meals and saving its nonprofit partners more than $2 million in food costs. Arkansas nonprofit launches new app to combat food insecurity in the state But now, demand is higher than ever. And many of the 115 organizations Potluck partners with simply don't have enough cold storage to safely handle the volume of food being rescued. 'We have a lot of agencies that just don't have that capacity,' Wyman said. 'That's a barrier. So the whole idea of Cool-Aid is to break that barrier.' Wyman says more than 20 new nonprofits have reached out for food assistance just in the past month. But without more refrigerators and freezers to store perishable items like produce, dairy, and meat, that food risks spoiling before it reaches the people who need it most. 'We want to help our recipient agencies to get refrigeration, to get freezers, so they can take more stuff from us,' Wyman said. Potluck Food Rescue in North Little Rock receives $90,000 Blue and You Foundation grant to launch rapid food recovery app According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Food prices are up 2.8 percent since this time last year, adding pressure on both struggling families and the organizations trying to support them. Meanwhile, the country continues to throw away billions of pounds of edible food annually. 'We are a country of surplus,' Wyman said. 'It's not waste at that point, but it's being treated as such, and it ends up in a dumpster. Someone pays a dumpster fee, and someone else doesn't get fed.' Through the 'Cool-Aid' campaign, Potluck is seeking donations of working refrigerators and freezers, or financial support to purchase new units, for its partners across Arkansas. For many families facing empty pantries this summer, a cold fridge could mean a hot meal. To learn more or contribute to the campaign, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Central Arkansas nonprofit combating food insecurity sees rise in demand
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — While hunger rises across the state, one Arkansas nonprofit is working daily to fight it, one rescued meal at a time. Potluck Food Rescue, a central Arkansas nonprofit that diverts surplus food from landfills to community organizations, has seen a dramatic rise in demand. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signs food insecurity executive order, calls for action The number of organizations requesting food has surged, with 20 new partners reaching out just in the last few weeks alone. 'The last thing people need to worry about is where their next meal is coming from, no one should ever have to worry about that,' said Chris Wyman, executive director of Potluck Food Rescue. While Potluck doesn't serve consumers directly, it supplies food to nearly 115 partner organizations that do, including shelters, schools, and community kitchens. Its mission tackles two problems at once: hunger and food waste. Every day, thousands of pounds of edible food are discarded in Central Arkansas. Potluck steps in before that happens. 'Those numbers are important,' Wyman said. 'You know, when we see those—we see people.' According to Wyman, a mix of inflation, SNAP benefit cuts, and newly imposed tariffs is driving more families into food insecurity and sending more organizations to Potluck's doorstep for help. 'That's going to lead to a lot of price spikes at places like our local grocers,' Wyman explained. 'What that ends up leading to—and with budget cuts to SNAP as well—is that people simply can't afford these prices.' 'And you know,' he added, 'our paychecks haven't matched inflation in decades.' Wyman believes this crisis will only deepen in the coming months as even more food becomes unaffordable, and ultimately, more surplus food is left behind by stores and suppliers. Potluck is preparing to respond. 'We want to be there to take that surplus,' he said. 'Because at one point, the shelf life is done for the grocery store, but it's not done for human consumption. We take that and get it to the people who need it.' In 2024, Potluck Food Rescue brought in more than 1 million pounds of rescued food—enough to create over 800,000 meals. That effort saved partner organizations more than $2 million in food costs. 'Money they can use toward their programming, rather than food,' Wyman said. 'And just imagine what their food costs are now.' Arkansas nonprofit launches new app to combat food insecurity in the state Looking ahead, the team at Potluck knows the road won't be easy. 'We are small but mighty,' Wyman said with a determined smile. For more information or to support Potluck Food Rescue's mission, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
