Organization: White Pony Express
Organization Type: Volunteer-powered non-profit
Location: Contra Costa, California
Area Served: All of Contra Costa County
Partner Since: 2022
800,000
Pounds of food recovered in 2025
5 lbs
New minimum (was 400 lbs)
5,668
Rescues in 2025
96
Food donors
How White Pony Express built a volunteer-powered food recovery movement in Contra Costa County
White Pony Express has always believed that food recovery is an act of love — and that belief has shaped every strategic decision they’ve made, including how they’ve grown their Food Rescue Hero Initiative into an engaging, high-impact vehicle for service.
Planning ahead, not playing catch-up
Before adopting the Food Rescue Hero app, White Pony Express was already operating a robust food recovery program — a fleet of 12 refrigerated trucks, paid staff drivers, and thousands of dedicated volunteers. They were also watching the policy landscape carefully. When California passed Senate Bill 1383, requiring businesses to divert edible organics from landfills, White Pony Express had already been developing their strategy to capture smaller, more frequent donations from local restaurants, grocery stores, and businesses.
They explored building their own app. They tried another platform first. They were asking the right questions before most organizations in the space even knew the questions to ask.
When White Pony Express chose the Food Rescue Hero app, it was because the platform aligned with a vision they had already built: a decentralized, volunteer-powered model that could complement their truck-based infrastructure — not replace it.
“When we chose the Food Rescue Hero app, it was because it aligned with a vision we had already built: a decentralized, volunteer-powered model that could complement our truck-based infrastructure — not replace it.”
Eve BirgeCEO, White Pony Express
What the initiative has made possible
By integrating the Food Rescue Hero app into their operations, White Pony Express removed the 400-pound minimum that had previously limited what they could accept. Today, volunteers can pick up donations as small as 5 pounds — in their own vehicles, on their own schedules — while White Pony Express’s staff drivers continue handling the larger daily rescues.
The results in 2025 speak for themselves: over 800,000 pounds of food recovered, nearly 675,000 meals delivered, through 5,668 rescues from 96 food donors to 59 nonprofit partners. This is what intentional program design looks like at scale.
The initiative has also made White Pony Express a go-to resource for SB 1383 compliance. They have created a certified food recovery pathway for local businesses that previously had no clear options — turning a regulatory requirement into a community benefit.
The people who make it real
The platform is only as powerful as the people who show up. White Pony Express has cultivated a community of dedicated volunteers whose commitment goes far beyond a single delivery.
“As a member of this movement to alleviate hunger, I am nourished by the opportunity to be of service. With every delivery I make, I feel the warmth of our shared experience.”
— Lisa Mikulchik, 254 rescues
“I love WPE so much. The mission is near and dear to my heart — we reduce food waste while sharing much-needed food. I love talking to the folks I deliver food to. They nourish my soul.”
— Nancy Anderson, 210 rescues
“I am so glad that WPE is here rescuing food. I enjoy picking up the food and taking it to someone who really needs it. I am a retired nurse, and I know how important food is for health and nutrition. This is good food that would otherwise go to a landfill — and now it is feeding someone who needs it.”
— Adelina Pilarski, 45 rescues
“The Food Rescue Hero app is a tool we're proud to use. The movement it supports is one we built — rooted in the belief that the smallest act of love has an effect.”
Eve BirgeCEO, White Pony Express
Where we’re headed
White Pony Express’s goal for 2025 is to move at least 10 nonprofit organizations from their waitlist onto their active distribution schedule. Over 50 agencies are currently waiting. That waitlist isn’t a problem — it’s a signal of how much the community trusts this model.
Their strategy is focused on three levers: increasing the number of food donors, deepening their volunteer community, and expanding the reach of their nonprofit partnerships across Contra Costa County.
The Food Rescue Hero app is a tool White Pony Express is proud to use. The movement it supports is one they built — rooted in the belief that the smallest act of love has an effect.
Want to be part of it?
With just one hour and your own vehicle, you can rescue surplus food and deliver it to a neighbor in need. No long-term commitment. Step-by-step guidance through the app. Real impact, every time.
Join White Pony Express as a volunteer: www.whiteponyexpress.org
Food Rescue Hero: foodrescuehero.org
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