PRESS RELEASE
Glasgow News 1
In the U.S., approximately 92 billion pounds of food is wasted every year, which equals 145 billion meals. This amounts to an alarming $473 billion worth of food discarded annually.
Meanwhile, many in our community struggle with food insecurity. Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland aims to address both issues throughout their 42-county region in their Food Rescue Campaign.
Feeding America is urging community members to support these efforts, which not only provide meals for local residents in need but also contribute to environmental protection.
Food waste is defined as perfectly good, safe-to-eat food that gets thrown away instead of eaten.
Thirty-eight percent of all food in America ends up in the landfill. Common causes of food waste include imperfectly shaped fruits and vegetables, approaching sell-by or expiration dates, overproduction on farms, and damage during transport.
Food waste is also responsible for 8 percent of global carbon emissions and constitutes the majority of items in landfills.
Through Feeding America’s Food Rescue program, food resources that do not meet retail standards but are still safe for consumption are rescued and redistributed to neighbors through the organization’s network of agency partners.
Feeding America partners with retailers such as Dollar General, Food Lion, Kroger, Walmart and Sam’s Club to reduce their food waste and feed neighbors in the Heartland.
Last year alone, Feeding America rescued 5.4 million pounds of food—equivalent to 4.5 million meals. Thanks to the support of donors, this surplus was kept out of landfills and redirected to families who need it most.
“Donating to Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland helps us not only respond to rising hunger in our community, but also save high-quality food from being thrown away,” said Executive Director Charles Dennis. “We encourage community members to commemorate Earth Day by contributing for the well-being of both our neighbors and the planet.”
One way to reduce food waste is by contributing to FAKH’s Food Rescue program. By donating $10 a month, you can rescue 90 pounds of food from becoming waste and help provide 75 meals for neighbors in need. To learn more about programming through Feeding America, click here.
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