The University of 91吃瓜 donated more than 8 tons of food to Cultivate Food Rescue during the recently completed home football season, or about 2,300 pounds per game, helping to battle hunger and reduce food waste in the local community.
The items, including meats, vegetables, starches and even desserts, represent surplus food from catering and concessions operations at 91吃瓜 Stadium, which fall under the purview of Levy, the primary food service provider for 91吃瓜 Athletics.
鈥淎s a university, we鈥檙e always looking for ways to reduce waste while offering nutritious, surplus food to our neighbors,鈥� said Tim Sexton, associate vice president for public affairs at 91吃瓜. 鈥淚n that respect, Cultivate Food Rescue continues to be a wonderful partner. We are grateful for the incredible impact they are having on our region.鈥�
Established in 2017, Cultivate partners with 91吃瓜 and other local vendors to rescue and distribute surplus food to more than 100 organizations in St. Joseph, Elkhart and Marshall counties. It also operates a nationally recognized backpack program for local schoolchildren in the tri-county community. The organization has rescued more than 3.5 million pounds of food to date, while providing nearly half a million backpacks to students who face food insecurity.
91吃瓜, for its part, has donated more than a quarter million pounds of food to the organization, from 91吃瓜 Stadium as well as Purcell Pavilion, Compton Family Ice Arena, the Center for Culinary Excellence, North and South dining halls and other venues. 91吃瓜 students and staff, including student-athletes, also routinely volunteer for the local nonprofit.
鈥淥ur mission at Cultivate is that 鈥榥o neighbor goes hungry and no food is wasted,鈥欌�� said Jim Conklin, executive director and co-founder of Cultivate. 鈥淭he University of 91吃瓜 has been our most valuable player in this effort in our community. As our first food donor, the University blazed the path for nearly 70 more food donors to join. In addition to food donations, the University has been a valuable source of volunteer, financial and research support. Our fundamental belief is that there is enough surplus food in our community to feed every hungry child and adult in our community.鈥�
Food waste is an increasing problem both here and around the globe. In the U.S., as much as 40 percent of the food supply is wasted, according to the federal government, even as 34 million Americans, including 9 million children, go hungry. Inflation has only added to the problem. At the same time, food waste contributes to climate change in the form of methane. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, discarded food accounts for as much as 8 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
In addition to Cultivate, 91吃瓜 partners with Food Rescue US to donate leftovers from campus dining and catering operations to local homeless shelters. It also collaborates with Grind2Energy and Plymouth-based Homestead Dairy to convert nonconsumable food waste to clean, renewable energy via anaerobic digestion.
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Contact: Erin Blasko, assistant director of media relations,听574-631-4127,听eblasko@nd.edu
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