Interviews – FoodRecovery.org

Magic Beyond the Parks: An interview with Amanda from She-Lion Foundation

Michelle Gornicki — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 11:00:43 +0000

By: Emily Grant, Director of Operations

Amanda Chidzikwe, CEO & Founder of She-Lion Foundation

From the streets of Zimbabwe to the neighborhoods of Orlando, the journey has been one of faith, fire, and an unshakable vision of bringing a global heart and local impact to our work. Through the Free Food Friday Program, we have turned pain into purpose, using food as a tool not just for nourishment, but for connection, dignity, and community empowerment. What began as a dream is now a weekly mission to serve, uplift, and show young women and youths the power of giving back.

She-Lion Foundation: We are committed to empowering young women through education, mentorship, vocational training, and financial literacy. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to break barriers, foster independence, and create lasting positive change in our community.

1. We're curious - how has the food from our program been helping you feed your community? Any pleasant surprises along the way?

Honestly, we are very grateful for this program and the donations you’ve provided. When we started our Friday food program, it helped us build rapport and trust with the community. [As you know] we focus on women empowerment and mentorship, and the moment when we introduced this food program, the community trusted us more.

Things are hard in 2025. Our program started with a focus on young women and children, especially single mothers, but now our numbers have doubled and we see families. We have a lot more people requesting food on Fridays. This last week, one of my volunteers, who is a mother who lost her job in January, said how much she looks forward to Fridays. We now have doubled the boxes so she can receive more.

This program is also good for our mentors – it’s a way for them to give back to the community too.

2. What donated goodies seem to bring the biggest smiles to people's faces? Any unexpected favorites?

Here is a funny story: in the beginning we didn’t unbox the donations from the schools, so some families would get a lot of milk or juice and others would get pizza and bread. Some would complain that they wanted the pizza and bread too. So now we open boxes and separate the food, so that each box includes all the items – it’s a mixed box with fruit, milk, pizza and bread.

I have to say they really like the pizza because it feels like a meal. We also noticed the seniors like the sweets – they really like desserts and will ask if we are bringing any! The kids love the chocolate milk, and the mothers love the regular milk.

3. If you could wave a magic wand and get more of one type of donation, what would it be? What would make the biggest difference for your folks?

More pizzas and pies! We would love to have more complete meals because this is something a family can have the day. We would also love more protein – like chicken and beans.

4. Mind sharing a heartwarming moment you've witnessed thanks to these donations? We love hearing the real stories behind the meals!

This food program helps us connect with underserved communities in Orange County. There is a [housing] complex we would go to and usually people would wait until we were all set up, but there was this mother who would help us unload the car, set up and throw the boxes away. She shared that she didn’t have work, so we invited her to start volunteering with us and she did! She shared that she was having trouble with housing, so we worked with Orange County to help her find housing. She now has a job and her kids are enrolled in our program. If we didn’t have this food program, we wouldn’t know how to help this woman.

We also now have a lot of students from that housing complex enrolled – all because of the food program. That is thanks to you all. We appreciate you.

Oh and another thing: when we post pictures on social media – we started getting attention from another organization called Your Name in Lights, and now they come on Fridays to our feeding program and bring clothes or shoes to donate.

Anything else you would like to share?

Let us know if there are any donations this summer!

Interested in sharing your partnership story or being featured by FoodRecovery.org? Reach out at hello@foodrecovery.org!

Magic Beyond the Parks: An interview with Chris Cameron from Fisher of Menistry

Michelle Gornicki — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 12:00:06 +0000

By: Emily Grant, Director of Operations

Chris Cameron, Founder of Fisher of Menistry

Chris grew up with a love of fishing that he got from his father and grandfather and started Fired Up Fishing Charters in 2007. Last year he started giving out food to his local community in Orlando and formed the Fisher of Menistry in 2025.

1. We're curious - how has the food from our program been helping you feed your community? Any pleasant surprises along the way?

So when I first got it in my heart to feed people – about a year ago – I got in contact with you. I talked to a buddy of mine and said, “I am going to do this [feed people].” He said “how?” And then I found you all.

I started this because my life changed over a year ago. I found God, and my life completely changed. Back then, I wasn’t who I am now. Now I want to go and love on other people. I [specifically] wanted to love on the homeless – some who are there by choice and others who are not. I saw kids on the streets with their families who would share stories of not being able to pay rent. A while ago, that could have been me, if I didn’t have family help me out [so I can relate to their situation].

I learned how folks got in that situation, and there is no judgement. I wanted to feed people.

I wanted to give them the Bread of Life and feed them. Once I got food donations, I started to go into the community and drive around. I was that guy, pulling over and running across a 3 lane road with a box of food to reach people. I would get names of who I met and I kept track of them in a notebook.

Now that it’s been about a year, I know where many folks are hanging out, so I bring two carts [to carry the food] and even my kids come to help and hand out food. I go about 4 times a week to different places. I learned where and when I could go and folks would light up and say: “Hey Chris, I was hoping you would come by today, and I am so glad you did.”

I usually serve about 10-20 people at a time. I collect bags from neighbors, so they can take what they want and thank God for all the food today. I help feed a couple hundred people a week.

Sometimes when I get a lot of stuff, I deliver it to a women’s facility, a rehab facility, or The Russell Home for Atypical Children. These places can take larger quantities of milk or produce and have the facilities to use them.

2. What donated goodies seem to bring the biggest smiles to people's faces? Any unexpected favorites?

[All the food] has its place – a lot of the need is based on weather and time of day. Right now in the summer, I buy a lot of water since it’s so hot. In the early evenings, I will see more folks come out and make hot dogs and hamburgers. When school was in session, I would use the donated items like corn to go with it.

While I do pay a lot out of pocket for things like the hot dogs and hamburgers, I am getting additional food donations from other nonprofit organizations who might have surplus – it’s a great connection.

3. If you could wave a magic wand and get more of one type of donation, what would it be? What would make the biggest difference for your folks?

Water. It’s the cheapest thing, but this is what they need. I can buy 10 cases, and they will be gone at the end of the day. I like to put the cases in the deep freezer and then hand them out, but I could use a lot more.

We could also use more prepared food.

Right now, I have a stockpile of dried goods and snacks. Later today, I am going to make sandwiches and hand those out.

4. Mind sharing a heartwarming moment you've witnessed thanks to these donations? We love hearing the real stories behind the meals!

I will give you two. One short and one long.

The short one: I take my kids and friends to volunteer with me and help hand out the food. We sometimes get surrounded when we show up – people are ready to eat! And then once everything is handed out, we look out and see folks content with their meals, like they are having a little picnic. It’s very gratifying.

The long one: About 5 months ago, I met Priscilla. Like I said, I like to pray for people, but I don’t push it. One day, I started early around 7am and drove around and started handing out food. I was driving back to Apopka, and this one woman who looked like she was having a rough and stressful day asked me: “do you have any food left?” And I said “yes.” I asked her if she wanted to take a bag for her kid and she shared that she hadn’t had her daughter in months because she wasn’t testing clean. Then we started talking and I shared part of my story as an alcoholic, and [before you know it] we were both crying. I gave her the food and we prayed.

Two months later, I was back at the same park and she walked up to me, and I said, “Hey Priscilla. Do you remember me? You look great. What’s going on?” And she said “I am clean! Do you think I could have another bag for my daughter?” And I said, “You got your daughter back?” And she replied: “Yes. I have been clean ever since the day we met and prayed.”

That is what keeps me going.

Interested in sharing your partnership story or being featured by FoodRecovery.org? Reach out at hello@foodrecovery.org!

Magic Beyond the Parks: An interview with Julio & Alexis from Orlando Union Rescue Mission

Michelle Gornicki — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 13:35:47 +0000

By: Emily Grant, Director of Operations

Julio Cayo, Director of Food and Service (pictured left) has 27 years of experience and enjoys teaching and coaching.

Alexis Allen, Assistant Manager (pictured right) has 9 years in the food industry and loves her job because it allows her to express her love of food and ministry in one place.

Orlando Union Rescue Mission: Our mission is Hope. Shelters offer Relief.

As one of Central Florida’s oldest and largest homeless services providers, the Orlando Union Rescue Mission remains committed to helping the hungry, hurting, and homeless by providing programs and services designed to transform lives. Through short-term provision of basic needs, Christ-centered care, discipleship, and education, we aim to lead the homeless to permanent independence built upon a personal relationship with Christ.

In Julio’s words: We help the homeless, the hungry and the hurting. Our organization is Christian-based and that is why we help people. We don’t discriminate against anyone – we help everyone. We serve on average between 200-400 meals a day to our men’s shelter and our family shelter.

1. We're curious - how has the food from our program been helping you feed your community? Any pleasant surprises along the way?

Julio: The times that I have seen the food delivered – all breakfast items were perfect for us. We don’t serve a hot breakfast every day, so this was a great addition to add to our meals. And your drivers are great people! Byron is amazing.

Alexis: In the morning, we don’t have trained cooks and chefs, so the donated hot food from the Four Seasons Hotel makes it really easy for our staff. This is an added bonus to our usual continental breakfast.

2. What donated goodies seem to bring the biggest smiles to people's faces? Any unexpected favorites?

Alexis: The fresh fruit!

Julio: Agreed. Fruit is very expensive – we can offer grits and sausage, but we don’t always have fruit and the kids love it.

3. If you could wave a magic wand and get more of one type of donation, what would it be? What would make the biggest difference for your folks?

Alexis: I would say milk and cereal – having that as a consistent supply is needed. We especially need it for the children because they love cereal.

Julio: I agree. These kids really love cereal. (Laughs)

4. Mind sharing a heartwarming moment you've witnessed thanks to these donations? We love hearing the real stories behind the meals!

Julio: Let me tell you something. We are not perfect. The people that come here have their own problems, but we try to accommodate them as best we can. Sometimes people are shy and they don’t want to express themselves [to let us know if they like the food or not], but I would say 70-80% of folks are really thankful for the meal – we can’t make everyone happy, but they seem happy with what we serve [most of the time].

Alexis: Our normal breakfast is a continental meal with milk and cereal. So when families come in and we have a hot meal, they are excited. We are definitely blessed when we can offer a hot meal and not just the usual cereal and continental breakfast.

Anything else you would like to share?

Julio: We need organizations like you all to help us to feed people. We do not receive any funding from the government, so the donations over the last couple of years make a difference. We really love your organization – we maximized all the donations. Keep us in mind for the future.

Interested in sharing your partnership story or being featured by FoodRecovery.org? Reach out at hello@foodrecovery.org!

Allie Wilson’s Interview

Cassidy Blackwell — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 00:36:33 +0000

Interview By: Grace Hoening – Former Social Media Coordinator

Written By: Cassidy Blackwell, Social Media Coordinator

Allie Wilson, our Director of Northeast Operations is a loyal food recovery advocate and dedicated team member always looking for ways to expand our work and build partnerships. Allie started as a volunteer with us when we were still MEANS Database but transitioned to a full-time staff member in 2021. In this conversation, she shares meaningful experiences working with Brazilian restaurants in her Jersey Shore community and reflects on her career with FoodRecovery.org.

How did you start working with the Brazilian restaurants in your area?

I was on my way to volunteer with Food Not Bombs and I decided to stop into a newly opened Brazilian restaurant, Emporio Cafe e Restaurante. Interested in finding some good local eats, I sat down and began talking with a few employees. I asked what they typically did with their surplus food at the end of the night. The employee said they did have food at the end of the night that they had to throw out, but they wanted to find a way to donate it instead. Immediately I lit up because I knew we could help with that! Within the next few minutes, I was speaking with the owner of the restaurant and we completed our first recovery with Emporio Cafe e Restaurante in the next few days.

How have these restaurants alongside FoodRecovery.org built partnerships within the community?

Emporio Cafe e Restaurante and Sabor do Brasil are women and immigrant-owned. Each of them built these restaurants from the ground up and now see donating excess food as a way to give back to a community that has given so much to them.

With frequent donations–two drop-offs a day–to food pantries and shelters in Long Branch, Asbury Park, and Bradley Beach, the restaurants and these organizations have become close. At one point, an Emporio Cafe e Restaurante employee personally dropped off a food donation because they enjoyed seeing the impact of giving surplus food. The volunteers at the food pantries have also visited the Brazilian restaurants to try out some delicious food. It’s great seeing these community members who wouldn’t have otherwise interacted build strong ties.

Can you share an impactful moment from working with these restaurants?

One of my favorite memories is a friendship that developed between one of our drivers, Nathy and a volunteer at the Bradley Food Pantry, Shannon. Nathy, who is Brazilian, and Shannon would communicate via Google Translate. Shannon eventually referred to Nathy as her “amiga,” and would give Nathy excess vegan food they had available. Nathy felt so grateful for this friendship, and It was beautiful seeing these two come together.

What has it felt like watching FoodRecovery.org grow to where we are today?

I started volunteering with FoodRecovery.org in 2015 when we were starting out. Seeing how big food recovery as a concept has become is really cool to me. Early on, no one was really talking about recovering surplus food and we frequently had to explain that “yes, you can donate excess food.”

It’s been awesome to see us transform from getting excited over donating a few trays of food to now transporting truck loads and millions of pounds of excess food annually.

What has been a rewarding moment from your time working with FoodRecovery.org?

It’s been very rewarding seeing food donated within my community. Early on I strived to build our presence in New Jersey , but it really wasn’t until we got Emporio Cafe e Restaurante and Sabor do Brasil on board that things started to pick up. It felt like a flip switched and suddenly we were able to grow these relationships into more and more partnerships and donations. Now, I get to work with event venues across the state, the Sea Hear Now festival, produce distributors and farmers markets in Montclair, Haddon Heights, and Holmdel. This goes to show the ripple effect just one donor can have on our organization and their community.

Interview with Emily Grant

Cassidy Blackwell — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 20:56:28 +0000

By: Grace Hoening – Former Social Media Coordinator

It’s not every day you meet someone who radiates passion and purpose, but that’s exactly what you’ll feel when you sit down with Emily, Director of Florida Operations.

As a driving force behind FoodRecovery.org’s efforts in Florida, Emily dedicates her time to ensuring that no meal goes to waste and that every possible resource is channeled toward those in need. In this interview, she offers a unique glimpse into the powerful impact of food recovery.

Emily shares a story that’s deeply close to her heart—a story about the powerful, life-changing work FoodRecovery.org is doing with Orange County Public Schools in Florida.

What is it like working with a school district?

In 2021, we started working with Orange County Public Schools in Florida. Like most things, it began small as a pilot program, and has expanded to 30 schools that frequently donate. The impact has rippled through the community in ways we never imagined. I received a heartfelt message from Karima, who works with the Istiqaamah Foundation in Orlando. Her words captured the essence of why this work matters so much:

“I wanted to thank you so very much. You are amazing at what you do. Thank you so much. I’m so happy the children are going to get these drinks this weekend at our school. It is a school that teaches ethnic minority children the English language, those who are coming from different countries and to teach special needs children. And [we] also educate their mothers who are coming from different countries, so I know it will be used. Thank you so much.”

Reading this, I was overwhelmed with emotion. This is why we do what we do. To know that the food we help recover is nourishing children and their families—it’s everything.

What’s different about working with a school district compared to other food donors?

School districts are incredibly fast-paced, and it’s rewarding to get the kitchen staff on board and into the regular habit of donating. Watching schools embrace food recovery has been one of the greatest joys of my career. The kitchen staff at these schools work tirelessly to feed their students, yet they still find the time and energy to gather food from share tables and donate it through FoodRecovery.org. Their dedication is nothing short of inspiring.

Frank, the Food Service Manager at Avalon Middle School, was one of our first champions. He was hesitant at first but quickly became an advocate. He told me:

“While I was reluctant at first to try something new, I said, ‘Let me give it a try.’ As soon as I found out how easy and quick it was to use FoodRecovery.org and input the information, it took less than 5 minutes, and their response time was so quick on getting a pick-up for the items.”

Hearing this from Frank reassured me that we were on the right path—making it easy for people to do good.

What is it like having such a large group of people working together in Florida?

It’s inspiring, to say the least. Our network of reliable drivers is the backbone of our operation, ensuring that food reaches those in need swiftly. Sometimes, I watch a post go out and within minutes it’s claimed, all thanks to the incredible community we’ve built. Our drivers are not just employees—they’re partners in this mission, showing up every day, often sitting in traffic, all to ensure that no food goes to waste. Their commitment is a constant reminder that we’re in this together.

What’s it like living in the community you’re serving?

Living in the state I’m serving allows me to connect with people face-to-face, not just through a screen. There’s something so fulfilling about meeting the people we’re helping and seeing the impact of our work firsthand. I helped start the Florida Food Recovery Coalition, which brings together partners from all across the state to collaborate and strengthen our food recovery network. It’s amazing to be a part of something so much bigger than myself.

How does your previous job connect with what you do today?

My time at the University of Florida/IFAS Extension, Family Nutrition Program, gave me the opportunity to build relationships with research farms, one of which is about an hour from my home. This farm gleans its harvest and donates it through us, even though they can’t sell their produce. I’ve had the privilege of going out to harvest the donated produce, alongside partners like the Society of St. Andrew. I’ll never forget picking strawberries—delicious, sun-ripened strawberries that I might have tasted a few too many of (but don’t tell!). It’s these experiences that fuel my passion for food recovery.

Is there anything new and exciting coming up?

I can’t wait for this upcoming school year. We’re planning to expand and support more organizations like the Istiqaamah Foundation. More schools are donating each year, and more nonprofits are signing up with us to claim these donations. It’s thrilling to see how quickly we can get food from schools to those who need it most.

Interview with Ellen Schoenberg

Grace Hoening — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:47:05 +0000

By: Grace Hoening – Social Media Coordinator

Ellen Schoenberg is a Project Coordinator with FoodRecovery.org and the fairy behind the newsletter magic you receive monthly. In a series of interviews I am working on to feature our superstars, here’s what Ellen had to say about the inspiring work she does on our team. If you want to see these interviews early, make sure you sign up to receive our newsletter!

What is the most meaningful part of your job?

I love working on the large donations team! Each day we see hundreds of thousands of pounds of food that are about to go to waste being donated. It’s such an honor to make such a huge impact across America. We move anything from 40,000 pounds of dairy to 20,000 pounds of frozen meat. It’s rather impressive!

Tell me about a donation that stands out to you:

A donation that stands out to me happened last month. I heard 20,000 pounds of milk was about to be wasted in California. Within 13 minutes of hearing about it, I found a nonprofit that could distribute all of it and give it back to their community.

Is it normal for large donations to be recovered so quickly?

Donations like this happen all the time! Another example was when there was a truck load of mangoes, lettuce, and peppers that unfortunately got into an accident. Since the driver wasn’t able to complete the delivery, I was called and asked to help recover all the food. Again, in less than 20 minutes, we found a local nonprofit called Operation Food Search that could use it and give it to the communities it serves.

How does it feel to move such large amounts of food so quickly?

These accomplishments make me feel proud to work for an organization that can make such a difference in food waste and food insecurity. For me, it’s just a couple of emails but it’s making such an impact on so many individuals and countless communities. This job continually inspires me.

Most of our work is managed remotely, what have you done for work in person?

I visited Trybe in person a little bit ago. It was amazing to see so many community members that came together to use shipping crates under a highway as storage and serve thousands of people around them. Their passion inspires me to continue getting food to organizations like Trybe.

What keeps you motivated?

I love seeing pictures of the recovered food. Since I can’t always be there in person, seeing pictures of the pallets of food reminds me of all the people, and especially families with kids, who will now have meals on their tables.

Can you comprehend what 20,000 pounds of food looks like?

It’s hard to picture, but when I hear 20,000 pounds of produce, I’m not thinking about the number of pounds. I’m thinking about the number of people this amount of food can help.It’s so difficult to actually understand because it’s so many pallets stacked high and filled in a Semi. But it is even more difficult to understand how all these massive trucks full of food were going to be thrown away. I am grateful they now have purpose and can nourish someone in need.

Can you tell me a little about your work in California?

There’s this new law called SB-1383 that requires businesses to donate their excess food to nonprofits. We are part of an amazing network called the Alameda County Food Recovery Stakeholder Network. It’s great to partner with all these organizations because we all have the same goal and together we can accomplish more than we could separately.