Many Food Rescue Hero™ Network Partners have coordinated multi-stop rescues manually for years, allowing volunteers to pick up food from multiple locations and/or drop off food at multiple nonprofit recipients. Now, the Food Rescue Hero platform allows them to do so seamlessly in-app.
At the end of August, Food Rescue Hero released functionality for all Network partners to create multi-stop food rescues within the Food Rescue Hero platform.
The benefits of multi-stop rescues
Staffing capacity
Instead of creating many traditional one-to-one food rescues within the same close range (or even coordinating multi-stop rescues manually), staff can now create a multi-stop rescue directly on the platform that makes sense for volunteers to easily pick up and drop off.
Ease for volunteers
Core volunteers are often looking to maximize their impact by claiming multiple rescues at once. Instead of claiming 2-3 rescues at a time and juggling the pickups and dropoffs themselves, the multi-stop logistics are managed (and tracked!) directly in the app.
Fewer incomplete rescues
When volunteers are juggling multiple rescues at the same time on their own, it becomes easy to forget to go through all the rescue steps for each rescue on the app (despite them delivering the food properly). Multi-stop rescues increase adherence to rescue completion within the app, since volunteers don’t need to tediously update and close out multiple rescues per day when they’re now all part of the same route. This means your dispatch team has a higher likelihood of knowing exactly where the food is and when it has been delivered correctly!
Efficiency & climate impact
One volunteer completing multiple pickups/drop offs moves more food with fewer emissions. Our route optimization also aims to reduce overall mileage, saving on both time and fuel during the rescue.
The three new types of rescues:
1. Multiple food donors
Pick up food from multiple locations and deliver it to a single drop-off point.
All of the food from both food donor locations will be dropped off at a single nonprofit recipient site!
2. Multiple recipients
Pick up food from one location and deliver it to multiple drop-off points.
The food picked up from a single location (such as a grocery store or restaurant) will be delivered to multiple drop-off points, such as several food banks, shelters, or community centers.
The app will specifically outline how much of each type of food to drop off at each recipient location!
3. Multiple donors & multiple recipients
Pick up food from multiple locations and deliver it to multiple drop-off points.
The food picked up from a multiple locations (like grocery stores or restaurants) will be delivered to multiple drop-off points, such as several food banks, shelters, or community centers.
The app will specifically outline how much of each type of food to drop off at each recipient location!
Here’s how multi-stop rescues work for volunteers:
Notification & rescue details:
When multi-stop rescues are posted on the app, the description includes key details such as the pickup location(s), drop-off point(s), pickup window, estimated duration, total distance, and any special instructions. You can see all relevant information upfront to make an informed decision on whether to accept the rescue.
Clear & comprehensive route information:
The app provides a comprehensive route map that shows the entire sequence of stops. Our route optimization suggests the most efficient order for the stops, helping you save time and fuel.
Step-by-step guidance:
By linking with your preferred mapping app, you’ll get step-by-step navigation with turn-by-turn directions for the entire rescue route. You can easily follow the path from the initial pickup point to each subsequent location, reducing any confusion and ensuring timely deliveries.
Real-time updates & communication:
Need help? No problem. The app lets you quickly notify dispatchers if there are any issues, such as delays or problems with accessing pickup or dropoff locations. Dispatchers can provide immediate support or adjust your route if needed.
Streamlined pickup & dropoff process:
When it’s time to head to the pickup location, just tap Start. You are then guided to collect the food, verify the donation details, and safely load it into your vehicle. At each subsequent stop, the app provides specific instructions on where to pick up / deliver the food and any necessary protocols. You will check in at each location to confirm pickup and delivery, ensuring all steps are accurately tracked.
Impact tracking & feedback:
After completing the rescue, you can view the impact of your efforts, such as the total weight of food rescued and the number of people served. You can also share feedback on the experience, helping us improve the volunteer experience.
Multi-stop rescues maximize the volume of food rescued in a single trip, reducing the carbon footprint associated with food transport while increasing the overall capacity of food rescue organizations to handle more donations with fewer resources.
