September 13th Your Leftover Food Can Become Someone’s Next Meal

What happens to the food left over after a church luncheon, retreat, conference, restaurant event or community gathering?

Too often, perfectly good food gets thrown away. But one phone call can turn that extra food into a blessing for people who are hungry.

San and the ACTS team at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church recently showed us exactly what that looks like. After their luncheon, they had more than 100 pieces of fried chicken remaining. They could have treated it like waste, but instead, they thought about the people in our community and called St. Joseph Collaborative.

That food did not end up in the trash. It went out with our outreach team and became part of the food we shared throughout the neighborhood surrounding Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral. Along with 40 bags of Panera Bread, cold water, bananas and tangerines, the donated chicken helped us bring practical care directly to people in need.

This is why partnerships matter. St. Joseph Collaborative cannot do this work alone, and we are not supposed to. Churches, ministries, restaurants, grocery stores, businesses and families all have something they can contribute. Sometimes that contribution is money. Sometimes it is time. Sometimes it is food that would otherwise be discarded.

If your organization has fresh, safely handled food left over, please contact us as soon as possible. The sooner we know, the better chance we have of coordinating its safe receipt and distribution. We cannot promise that every donation can be accepted, but we will always do our best to determine whether it can be used responsibly.

Your extra trays, packaged food, bread, fruit, bottled water or prepared meals could help someone who is hungry. More importantly, your decision to share tells that person, “You matter. You have not been forgotten.”

Thank you again to San and the ACTS team at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church for setting a beautiful example of faith in action.

To offer a food donation, call 909-346-4200 or visit StJosephCollaborative.org.

Don’t let a blessing go to waste. Let us help you carry it to someone who needs it.