“Getting everyone in the same room and talking with others that are doing this same work is invaluable.”
The 2024 Food Rescue Conference was a milestone moment for the food rescue movement, bringing together passionate changemakers from around the world to deepen our collective impact on food waste and hunger. Hosted in the heart of Pittsburgh – the birthplace of Food Rescue Hero and our mission-driven tech platform – this gathering inspired collaboration and sparked new ideas for tackling some of today’s most pressing challenges.
Over two days, attendees participated in hands-on workshops, heard from powerful speakers, and connected with leaders from more than 19 cities currently using Food Rescue Hero to make food recovery more efficient and impactful. Topics ranged from volunteer mobilization strategies and community engagement to innovations in tech for food rescue, highlighting real-world successes and emerging solutions.
One of the event’s highlights was an exclusive field trip for Food Rescue Hero partners, offering an inside look at key locations where our mission thrives. We began at 412 Food Rescue’s Good Food Project – this zero-waste kitchen transforms surplus food into healthy, heat-and-eat meals and grocery bags of nutritious food for neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
Next, we visited Bedford Dwellings, where we explored 412 Food Rescue’s long-standing partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, which has been instrumental in enhancing food security and strengthening community resilience.
We concluded the day with a VIP tour of PNC Park, where we learned about sustainability practices and behind-the-scenes operations, including 412 Food Rescue’s impactful food rescue partnership with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In-person attendees also had full access to the online Food Rescue Conference sessions, as well as access to a bonus post-conference webinar showing how to activate your nonprofit board to implement new ideas.
The Food Rescue Conference was a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish together: millions of pounds of surplus food rescued, environmental impact reduced, and communities strengthened.
As we move forward, we’re energized and inspired by the commitment and creativity of our Food Rescue Hero community. Thank you to everyone who joined us, contributed insights, and reaffirmed that together, we’re building a powerful movement to end food waste and fight hunger. Here’s to another year of impact, innovation, and connection!
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Our model merges technology, civic engagement, and public-private partnerships to introduce a new transport and distribution model that transforms surplus food into a resource and changes the way we approach food access.
And we are seeing sustainable, scalable and measurable impact.