Dear friend,
As we get ready to face the increasingly common seasonal challenges of heat waves and wildfires, extreme weather events are stark reminders of how our choices impact our planet. Reflecting on our actions can help us mitigate the effects of climate change.
On the surface, food security and environmental sustainability may seem like separate issues, but they are deeply intertwined. A crucial aspect of anti-hunger advocacy is addressing food loss and waste, which contributes substantially to a warming planet.
During Preston's Pantry, we distribute packages of strawberries, bell peppers, avocados, salad kits, cheese, yogurt, salmon, ground beef, and much more —all rescued from local popular grocery store chains. These items were perfectly edible but deemed unsellable due to minor imperfections like a few spoiled strawberries in a container, a bruise on a bell pepper, or pending sell-by dates.
Did you know that "sell by" and "best by" dates are often just guidelines for stores? Understanding which dates matter can significantly reduce food waste. Learn more here. Properly handled, many foods are safe to consume past these dates. For instance, refrigerated milk can be drinkable for about a week after the sell-by date. This is where gleaning and organizations like Lift UP come into play.
Gleaning involves collecting excess fresh foods from farms, gardens, farmers markets, grocers, and restaurants to redistribute to those in need. According to foodrescue.net, 40% of the food we produce is never eaten and ends up in landfills, wasting the energy and water used to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. Moreover, rotting food in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. Reducing food waste could cut 6%-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
As Cecilia Estraviz, our Operations Manager, often says, “No one in our country should ever go hungry. Hunger is not a resource or production problem; it's a distribution problem.” The main challenges in rescuing food include transporting it and ensuring adequate storage and refrigeration. Last year, Lift UP gleaned nearly 320,000 pounds of food, preventing it from reaching landfills and distributing it to our neighbors. Our efforts depend on two part-time gleaners and volunteers who collect food from local stores and farms.
The food we glean is often highly valued by our neighbors, especially fresh produce and dairy. As one Pantry shopper shared, “The quality of the produce is awesome. Since I started coming here, I've been eating a lot healthier.” We also share tips in our client newsletters to help extend the lifecycle of food, like chopping near-expired fruits and veggies for freezing, soups, or smoothies.
One of our notable partners in the gleaning field is the Portland Fruit Tree Project (PFTP). Founded in 2006 to address the surplus of fruit dropping from trees in North and Northeast Portland, they organize harvest parties to collect produce that would otherwise rot. Last summer, Lift UP received 2000 pounds of cherries from PFTP, which we distributed to our clients.
You can join our mission by volunteering as a gleaner or donating here to support food redistribution in our community. Your contributions help to support our gleaning staff and the transportation of food to distribution points.
As always, we're incredibly thankful for the many ways our partners and supporters help us feed our neighbors and contribute to Lift UP's role in environmental sustainability. Your support makes all the difference!
With Gratitude,
Stephanie Barr, Executive Director
Food brings us together.
