Hole Food Rescue

1You may or may not have seen a group of food gatherers, if you will, picking up bundles of food from various grocery stores and other food establishments around town.

Wonder who they are and what they are doing? This group of people is Hole Food Rescue. This group was on the top of the list of people we discussed including in our recent magazine story, Ones to Watch. And as promised, they are the first in our series of foodie profiles.

Founded in June 2013 by Ali Dunford, now executive director, Hole Food Rescue is a 100 percent volunteer run organization. Working under the nonprofit Jackson Cupboard, Hole Food Rescue works to decrease waste and increase food security in Jackson through a more legitimate type of dumpster diving. They collect food that would otherwise end up in landfills and redistribute it to those in need.

But it’s not just any food. They aim to redistribute and repurpose nutritional food so that those who need it most don’t have to sacrifice their health to have a meal.

Hole Food Rescue’s mission is simple. They aim to increase food equality (equal access to nutritious food) and reduce food waste by repurposing and reusing excess food to its full potential.

Their work consists of sourcing overstock and unsaleable food from excess food sites, such as grocery stores, bakeries and other donating businesses, relocating the food to local organizations such as the Senior Center of Jackson Hole, Good Samaritan Mission, and Community Safety Network.

In September 2014 the organization moved into a food sorting and distribution facility off Gregory Lane, which was made possible by grant funding by the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. This has allowed them to efficiently sort food donations from participating food retailers, preparing them for donation to receiving organizations.  The facility has been a large step for Hole Food Rescue toward becoming a more effective organization serving the Jackson Hole community.

Since their establishment, Hole Food Rescue has seen an increase in awareness on food waste and food security in Teton County. They are still shocked by the large amount of food donations they receive and take pride in knowing they are filling stomachs around Jackson with nutritious food that doesn’t have to rot in a landfill.

Here are a few statistics to show how Hole Food Rescue is helping our community:

  • They have rescued over 200,000 pounds of food since their launch in June 2013.
  • They are 100 percent volunteer run and have 35 volunteers on regular shifts on a weekly basis. That is roughly 52 combined volunteered hours/week.
  • They have donated over 36,000 pounds of inedibles as livestock feed to Haderlie Farms and Matt Lovely Residential Farms since June 2013
  • They have four reliable/consistent excess food donors from whom they (combined) rescue 10,000 pounds per month (they are extending soon and partnering with Lucky’s Market).
  • They deliver food to 10 community organizations in Teton County on a daily and consistent basis (they are constantly looking for more potential partnerships here too).

 “We strongly believe that there is a small increase in awareness on food waste and food insecurity in Teton County with Hole Food Rescue’s presence and its efforts,” Executive Director, Ali Dunford, and Assistant Director, Jeske Grave told me.

To get involved, visit their website (currently under construction, but will be back up shortly) and Facebook page.

 

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Casey Alderman

Born and raised in south Georgia, Casey moved to Colorado after graduating college and has now settled in Jackson, where she loves to snowboard, hike and water-ski. She's a true southern food junkie, but loves every type of food (there's nothing she won't eat) and will try anything once. A lifelong love of food combined with a Journalism degree made her realize she could combine her two passions which led her to the position of Editorial Assistant. She loves hot sauce and anything pickled, and you'll always find her on the hunt for the perfect Bloody Mary.

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