The Food Recovery Program
The Food Recovery Program at Montgomery County Community College’s (MC3) Hospitality Institute (HI) was developed and implemented by the Food Sustainability VISTA Fellow. The Fellow works with faculty and HI to source, prepare, cook, package, and donate excess food to the college’s Wellness Center food pantry. This program drastically reduces food waste and feeds students with food insecurity and financial hardship. The Food Recovery Program began in September 2023, and in that semester alone the equivalent of 937 meals were donated to the food pantry. Thirty-eight percent of MC3 students experience some type of food insecurity or hardship, and these meals help to feed hungry students. Diverting this food sends less organic matter to landfills, which lessens the amount of greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere and, hence, our impact on climate change.
Innovators
- Jennifer Fanega, Food Sustainability Fellow, Hospitality Institute
- Karima Roepel, Director, Hospitality Institute