By Joseph Pompeo

Pollution is already a huge problem, but what if we take it step by step and help a company called 412
Food Rescue?

412 Food Rescue is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organization that is dedicated to rescuing food,
reducing food waste, and fighting hunger. The organization was founded in 2015 by Leah Lizarondo and
Gisele Fetterman and has since grown to become one of the most successful food rescue organizations
in the country.

Greg Austin, the project manager for the good food project at 412 Food Rescue said, “Roughly 40
percent of the food that is produced in the U.S. goes to waste.” That is nearly 62.5 million tons a year.
Austin also said, “Landfill and waste contribute 1.4 percent of the total kind of negative carbon footprint
that we hear about.”

According to the World Bank 37.9 million people, about twice the population of New York, are living in
poverty in the U.S. Most of them can’t afford food to feed themselves as well as their families.
Austin said, “1 in 5 to 1 in 7 in the U.S. face food insecurity and struggle in hunger.”

The mission of 412 Food Rescue is simple, to prevent perfectly good food from going to waste and
distribute it to those in need. The company works with grocery stores, restaurants, and other food
providers to rescue food that would otherwise be thrown away. This food is then distributed to local
food banks, shelters, and other organizations that serve those in need.

However, some people don’t have ovens and stoves. Well, 412 Food Rescue also cooks food in their
kitchen and then delivers it to the family that could heat it up in the microwave or eat it out of the container.
Austin said, “If we are able to recover half of the food being wasted in the U.S. we could feed every
hungry person in the United States three meals a day, every day.”

One of the most innovative aspects of 412 Food Rescue is the use of technology. The organization has
developed a mobile app that allows volunteers to sign up for Food Rescue missions and receive alerts
when food is available.

The organization has made a significant impact in the Pittsburgh area, and its innovative approach to
Food Rescue is inspiring others to get involved and make a difference in their own communities.

If we are capable of such a thing, then why not show support for it? If you want to volunteer download
their app 412 Food Rescue or go to their website at 412foodrescue.org.

Austin spoke in front of a journalism class at La Roche University on the eighteenth of April.