Our Mission:
To increase health equity and support a more just, less wasteful food system through education, advocacy and the redistribution of surplus nutritious food.
Charlie, of Ecumenical Social Ministries, helps to organize a CSFR drop off.
Thousands of pounds of fresh, edible food is thrown away in Colorado Springs every day. The USDA estimates that up to 40 percent of our nation’s food supply is wasted. Meanwhile, one in seven people in Colorado are considered food insecure with a high likelihood of malnutrition and other nutrition-related illnesses.
Many hungry individuals accept assistance from food distribution programs that offer nonperishable pantry items. However, even with this great help, some people are unable to access fresh, healthy foods to sustain a wholesome diet and mitigate nutrition-related health problems.
Colorado Springs Food Rescue (CSFR) volunteers sustainably recover food seven days a week from donor businesses around the Pikes Peak region and deliver it directly to local nonprofit partnership programs. Each month we recover an average of 30,000 pounds of fresh produce, prepared foods such as catered leftovers, and perishable food. This is the niche we fill; larger food recovery programs that collect donations in warehouses before redistribution cannot rescue this type of soon-to-expire food. CSFR serves as a facilitator and educator for community-driven change. By reallocating excess food, we minimize the food budgets of our partner organizations, ensure better nutrition for the people they serve, and most importantly allow these communities to focus more of their resources on increasing the impact of their programming.
Feel free to look through our website to learn more about our partners, grocery programs, school-based projects, research, team, and how you can get involved!
A casual 700 pounds of Colorado-grown potatoes being distributed to our local partners at Seeds Community Cafe.