Press Releases – FoodRecovery.org

RAC Raise Helps Community Invest in Ending Hunger

Kenna Rogers — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 21:05:06 +0000

Des Moines non-profit Eat Greater Des Moines and Iowan founded Washington, DC, non-profit MEANS Database are raising money to support their food recovery efforts by selling ESG validation contracts through an online RAC auction that opens today for bidding during the month of April. The auction allows individuals or organizations to invest in the ESG benefits created by these organizations – from the people fed, landfill contents diverted, to greenhouse gases reduced – due to each food recovery event made available on the auction. This is the second RAC auction where non-profits can monetize their ESG contributions in order to support their core mission.

“Food recovery is still pretty misunderstood, so traditional fundraising pathways are not always available for us,” said Aubrey Alvarez, Executive Director of Eat Greater Des Moines. “We’re excited to participate in this auction because it recognizes our achievements, lets funders invest in what we’ve done, letting us get back to work in our community quicker.”

For non-profits who should be benefitting most from corporate or investor focus on ESG impact, traditional tools like carbon credits are prohibitively expensive to create and trade. A regenerative authentication credit, or RAC, allows non-profits greater flexibility in defining their ESG impact at a lower compliance cost. A RAC is able to offer greater visibility at a lower compliance cost, preventing the kinds of ESG greenwashing scandals making headlines recently, by integrating the neopublic blockchain technology offered by Des Moines startup Trokt into its validation architecture.

“Our nationwide footprint and increase in bulk food recovery, often moving 40,000 pounds of food at a time, make it harder for us to directly connect with those who want to make a specific impact in their community,” said Sammie Paul, Executive Director of MEANS Database. “It’s awesome that each RAC allows us to engage both small dollar supporters and ESG focused corporate benefactors. We’re excited by this opportunity to engage with more community members through this partnership.”

RAC Raise sites are not set strictly on food recovery, though. “Our next auction will likely be around land stewardship, we’re already planning efforts around reducing recidivism rates, and we already have a solution for low carbon intensity fuels coming down the pike,” says Allison Lawrence of RAC Raise. “The RAC framework is such a nimble, low-overhead option that lets nearly any type of ESG contributing non-profit put more than ninety cents of every dollar raised directly back into their mission.”

Bidding opens today for any individual or organization and closes at midnight on April 31.

To learn more:

Eat Greater Des Moines [ https://www.eatgreaterdesmoines.org ] creates innovative, forward-thinking solutions that prove what’s possible in the food system, with a significant focus on food recovery in the Des Moines metropolitan area. For more information, please email info@eatgreaterdesmoines.org or call 515-207-8908

MEANS (Matching Excess And Needs for Stability) Database [ https://foodrecovery.org ] is an online platform connecting those with excess food, like grocery stores, co-ops, and restaurants, with nearby emergency food providers who serve those in need. Our organization has two major goals: to reduce food waste and reroute that food to feed people facing food insecurity. MEANS has been working in the anti-hunger space for six years and has adapted to meet the needs of clients and those in need remotely during this unprecedented time. For more information, please contact Sammie Paul at sammie@foodrecovery.org

RAC Raise is an initiative of ESG RACs [ https://www.esgracs.com ] intended to help drive investment towards those individuals, organizations, and communities who are able to demonstrate their ESG contributions towards making our communities better. For more information, please contact Allison Lawrence by email at allison@racraise.org or by phone at 914-388-6921

Regenerative authentication credit (RAC) is an ESG validation contract that transfers the intangible value of a good work from its originator to a buyer. A RAC is the ESG equivalent of the wind and solar industries’ renewable energy certificate (REC) managed by the Environmental Protection Agency. The first RAC was generated and traded by renewable fuel feedstock firm Third Coast Commodities [ https://thirdcoastcommodities.com ] in 2022 before its use was adapted to also support the non-profit sector. For technical details on a RAC or its use of Trokt, please contact Chris Draper by email at chris.draper@meidh.com or by phone at 515-210-0214

MEANS Database and Grubhub Continue Food Recovery Initiatives

Kenna Rogers — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 21:17:56 +0000

MEANS Database and Grubhub Community Fund Continue Food Recovery Initiatives

Washington, DC (June 9, 2022): MEANS Database is pleased to announce the continuation of our partnership with Grubhub in order to support food recovery initiatives such as the Community Meal Program and Food Recovery Program.

With support from the Grubhub Community Fund, MEANS Database will be able to continue the Community Meal Program to provide funds to small businesses that provide culturally-appropriate meals to local nonprofits that serve community members facing food insecurity.

“MEANS Database is looking forward to continuing our work with Grubhub for 2022 and 2023. Through this partnership so far, we have provided 550,000 meals to nonprofits across the country and over $4 million to small and medium-sized restaurants as they recover from COVID-19 shutdowns. With this grant we are eager to continue to support nonprofits in seven cities and continue our food recovery efforts nationwide,” states Kenna Rogers, Senior Project Manager at MEANS Database.

Our Food Recovery Program supports both businesses and community members facing food insecurity in the short-term with food donations, while building a long-term sustainable network of businesses and nonprofit organizations for food recovery in the future. The creation of cooperative networks across the food system is essential for sustaining successful partnerships that reduce excess food waste.

“Grubhub has more than 320,000 independent restaurants at the heart of our business, and we are uniquely positioned to help connect them to incredible organizations like MEANS Database to make the most of their leftover food supply,” said Brett Swanson, Grubhub’s Sr. Manager for Community Affairs & Social Impact. “No one – especially the 13.8 million children in the U.S. who experience food insecurity – should have to wonder where they’ll get their next meal. The Community Meal Program and Food Recovery Program are absolutely critical resources for families and we’re happy to offer our support.”

MEANS Database is grateful for the opportunity to expand our Community Meal Program and Food Recovery Program to support communities across the country with the support of the Grubhub Community Fund.

MEANS Database modernizes food recovery by connecting excess food to organizations and individuals who need it. Our organization has two major goals: to reduce food waste and reroute that food to feed people facing food insecurity. Since 2015, MEANS Database has expanded its network to over 3,000 users in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and has successfully recovered over 4 million pounds of food. For more information, visit foodrecovery.org.

ChowBank Food Recovery App Acquired by MEANS Database

Zoey Jordan Salsbury — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 15:30:52 +0000

Today at the World Food Prize Foundation’s Iowa Hunger Summit, MEANS Database announced their acquisition of Des Moines-based food rescue app ChowBank. Since its debut in 2015, ChowBank helped users like Eat Greater Des Moines as the organization rescued nearly twenty million pounds of food that were redirected to feed food insecure Iowans.

ChowBank’s acquisition provides MEANS Database with a proven, easy to use, food rescue app that can handle the user growth it has achieved through innovative partnerships with organizations like Grubhub. It will help the nonprofit continue to grow and support its nationwide network of users.

“Few get the opportunity to help so many in times of need,” said Draper of ChowBank. “Being able to hand our efforts off so Sammie [Paul] and the MEANS team can maximize ChowBank’s potential is beyond exciting.”

The MEANS Database acquisition of ChowBank will be seamless for current users and organizations, with users and organizations able to donate and accept rescued food as normal. As ChowBank is fully integrated into the MEANS Database technology suite, users will see more options to engage with more communities across the nation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will users on ChowBank have to sign up for MEANS?

No, your Chowbank account will continue to operate as usual. You can still donate and receive food without signing up for MEANS.

Does MEANS Database serve my area?

MEANS has users in all 50 states, with particular areas that serve as hubs for our food rescue work. To learn about these areas, or to find out how your community can become a hub, read more here.

I’d like to learn more about MEANS and ChowBank and how I can get involved. Who should I contact?

You can email the MEANS team at hello@foodrecovery.org or call them at (202)449-1507.

How can I support the work of MEANS Database?

You can support MEANS by asking your favorite restaurants, grocery stores, and other food producers to join. You can also financially support MEANS by donating here.

For press inquiries contact Zoey Jordan Salsbury at zoey@foodrecovery.org. A press kit with more quotes, photos, and logos available here: https://m-db.co/chowbank-means-press-kit