The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank helps combat food waste

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s rescue and recovery efforts are helping feed people across the region.

“Over 30 percent of the food produced in the United States ends up in waste,” said Kurt Lindsey, food recovery coordinator at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

And with so many people living in food insecurity, the food bank wanted to find a way to save some of that food. It's called Community Table.

There are 400 donors in the program. Each donor is matched with agencies in their community – such as shelters, soup kitchens and Meals on Wheels – where they can donate excess food.

“Across our 11-county service area, we collect 55,000 pounds of food on an average day,” Lindsey said.

They source food from local restaurants, farms and even senior living facilities.

“Our goal has always been to not throw away a lot of food, but it's inevitable that that will happen,” said John Rizzo, director of nutrition services at UPMC Senior Communities.

So instead of throwing away leftovers or odds and ends, they keep them.

“We just freeze what's left and we think it's something nice, but we don't really have enough to do anything else with it,” Rizzo said.

The food is then picked up and delivered.

Rizzo added, “I believe UPMC Senior Communities has donated enough food for about 100,000 meals over the last 10 years.”

Burgatory is one of the local restaurant groups participating in the Community Table.

“Since 2012, we have donated over 38,000 pounds, which is equivalent to approximately 32,000 meals,” said Brad Kohut, vice president of restaurant development at Burgatory.

Once a month, Burgatory grills between 25 and 50 burgers and donates them along with toppings and buns. Burgatory also includes fresh salads and homemade potato chips.

Kohut added: “You get a real meal.”

All seven of Burgatory's local restaurants are participating.

“We’re all about community. For us it's all about the people. It's not just about putting burgers on the table. It’s about doing the right thing every day, and that’s what we do with the people around us,” he told Kohut.

Then there's Apple Castle in New Wilmington.

“I am the sixth generation on the farm. We’ve been growing apples here since 1861,” said Steve Johnston, owner of Apple Castle.

After 163 years of growth, Apple Castle has a pretty good idea of ​​how much it can sell. Instead of leaving the rest unused, it will be donated to the Community Table.

“This year we will have a few Fuji apples in surplus. And instead of just dropping them or throwing them away, we can send them to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and they will distribute them to those who need them,” Johnston said.

Apple Castle has been part of the program for almost 15 years and increases its donations every year. All told, approximately 125,000 pounds of apples and sweet corn, as well as occasional winter squash, are donated annually.

Johnston added, “Partnering with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank has been a blessing to us and we are truly grateful to be a blessing to others.”

And while the Community Table program is unique, it is only a fraction of the food bank's food rescue and recovery work. Most of it comes from local grocery stores.

“Grocery stores, for example, do not sell all of the foods they stock on their shelves. And when they take them off the shelves, they're typically still healthy and nutritious foods that they don't want to throw away. “That's where we come in,” Lindsey said.

Last year, the food bank saved more than 20.4 million pounds of food through the Community Table and retail programs.

Lindsey says not only does it help those in need, but it also helps the environment.

“When food is thrown away in a landfill and begins to spoil, it releases greenhouse gases that contribute to our warmer climate. For every food item donated, we can calculate the environmental impact of donating it instead of throwing it out,” Lindsey said.

Last year alone, Lindsey said, with the help of fundraising partnerships, the food bank eliminated food waste-related emissions, equivalent to removing 4,000 vehicles for the entire year.

Lindsey said, “By partnering with our donors, we can prevent these emissions and use the food to feed our community.”

And now is your chance to help by donating to the KDKA-TV Turkey Fund. Go to any PNC Bank and they will match all donations of $50 or more. Or you can donate digitally by texting “KDTURKEY” to 50155 or going to kdka.com/turkeyfund.

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