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AUSTIN (KXAN) – Have you ever wondered what happens to all the food that is not bought in the supermarket? Much of it goes straight to the landfill, but an Austin organization is working to save it to feed families in need.
In 2008, Allen Schroeder founded an organization called Save the Food after working co-op in downtown Wheatsville and seeing the amount of food being thrown in the dumpster.
Now he runs the organization with more than 50 volunteers who spend their mornings going to several grocery stores and picking up the unwanted groceries.
“Every morning a different volunteer comes into the shops and picks up the food,” says Schroeder. “From the Wheatsville Co-op, Fresh Plus, Farm House Delivery. That concerns us and that is the scope of our work. ”
Schroeder says food insecurity in the city of Austin has increased since the pandemic began.
“About 17 to 18 percent of adults in Austin are food insecure,” says Schroeder. “That’s about 25% of the children. It only got worse during the pandemic. ”
Each week, Save the Food Austin can deliver approximately 6,000 pounds of food from 20 grocery stores to people with food insecurity. It’s all a walking market where people can choose whatever is available.
“If I had meat today, I would stand there and distribute it one by one to distribute it evenly,” said Schroeder while distributing food at a market at the airport and Goodwin.
The food helps nourish the mouths of several Austinites who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
“One of my proudest moments is contact with a refugee family who have just arrived in Austin,” said Schroeder. “They weren’t looking for city services, they were just trying to do it themselves.”
On Thursday, September 30th, Save the Food is partnering with the Lady Arm Wrestlers of Austin collective to raise funds for Save the Food. For more information, you can click on this link.
Another organization called Keep Austin Fed works at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport by donating unsold products like sandwiches and salads.
BACKGROUND: Unsold food from ABIA was donated to charity to help reduce waste
The organization was founded in 2017, but product distribution fell with travel and there was no excess food for sale. The organization was able to start again on July 4th.
Before COVID-19, they delivered more than 10,000 meals a year.
This month is Hunger Action Month and KXAN’s parent company, Nexstar Media Group, is partnering with Feeding America, the country’s largest hunger relief organization. Use this link to find ways to help your community.
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