Tell us about your mission.
At its core, Potluck’s mission is simple: good food should feed people, not landfills. Potluck safely recovers surplus food from grocery stores, restaurants, farms, caterers, distributors, schools and community partners, then moves that food quickly to trusted agencies serving people facing food insecurity.
What makes Potluck effective is our ability to adapt. Food rescue is not static work. It changes by the day, sometimes by the hour. A donation appears unexpectedly. A freezer goes down. A school needs weekend food. A caterer has surplus prepared meals. A rural partner needs cold storage before they can accept more fresh food. Potluck is built to respond quickly, evolve when needed and move food through the community before opportunity becomes waste.
We operate in the space between surplus and need, making sure food already present in our community reaches people with dignity, speed and care. We are agile because the need is urgent. We are adaptive because communities are different. And we are committed because wasted food is not just an environmental issue. It is a missed opportunity to nourish people.
How did the grant help you achieve your mission?
The grant was especially meaningful because it did more than support current operations. It helped Potluck leverage additional matching support, creating momentum at a critical time for our organization. That investment strengthened our ability to respond to immediate food recovery needs while also advancing larger conversations around expansion, sustainability and the Potluck Food Rescue App powered by Food Rescue Hero.
Without that support, our timeline for expansion discussions around the Potluck App would likely have been pushed much later into the year. Instead, the grant helped us act when action was most needed. In food rescue, timing matters.
This grant also helped support the practical infrastructure that makes food rescue possible. Potluck purchases pans and food-safe supplies so restaurants and caterers can donate prepared food without taking on additional financial strain. We also help community partners access the proper equipment they need to receive, store, transport and distribute
food safely and successfully.
How can people learn about you?
Visit potluckfoodrescue.org, follow us on social media, or reach out to schedule a conversation or tour. Individuals can volunteer through the Potluck Food Rescue App, help at No Cost Markets, assist with warehouse sorting, support community distributions or connect us with potential food donors and partner agencies.
Businesses, restaurants, caterers, farms, grocery stores, schools and institutions can partner with us as food donors. Funders and community members can support the operating costs that make rapid food recovery possible, including transportation, staffing, volunteer coordination, cold storage, technology, food-safe supplies and food safety infrastructure.
