LANDMARK FOOD RECOVERY IN DC - 100,000th POUND at Gaylord National

Food Recovery Network reached a milestone in food recovery in its 2-year partnership with Gaylord National

Article originally posted to Patch.com

Food Recovery Network (FRN) is thrilled to announce an exciting milestone as they reached 100,000 pounds of surplus food in partnership with Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. In just over 2 years, their collaboration has grown to support ten hunger-fighting partners in the greater D.C. area, providing 85,000 meals. On Thursday, March 5th, Food Recovery Network collected the 100,000th pound.

"Our partnership with Gaylord National has proven to be transformative for our community. Each pound of food recovered alleviates hunger and demonstrates the power of collective action," said Regina Harmon, Chief Executive Officer, FRN. “As we celebrate our 100,000 pound milemark, we invite everyone to engage with us in this mission to combat food waste, connect people in our community who need it with high-quality food, and make a positive impact on our climate. Imagine if every hotel and convention center in our community created opportunities to turn surplus food into sustenance.”

FRN and Gaylord National began their official partnership in June 2023. Since then, FRN’s team has picked up surplus food from Gaylord National every other week. On average, over two weeks, Gaylord’s culinary team saves about 1,200 pounds of perfectly good food, simply prepared in excess, from all of the meetings and events held in their conference and resort center.

“With rising food costs and growing need, the support from Food Recovery Network couldn’t be more impactful. The hundreds of trays of prepared, high-quality meals they provide each week through Gaylord allow us to serve nearly all of our breakfasts and many of our lunches for neighbors experiencing homelessness. Their dedication to reducing waste and nourishing our community strengthens our work every day, and we’re deeply grateful for their partnership.” said Chef Richard Snyder, Central Union Mission Kitchen Manager

“Gaylord National is committed to the longevity of the partnership and its sustainability efforts," says Hotel Manager, Ryan Verhulst, "Food recovery is essential to reaching our sustainability goals. As part of the Marriott family, we have an emphasis on nurturing our world and reducing our environmental footprint. This includes decreasing our food waste and increasing our contribution to our community. Partnerships like the one we have with the Food Recovery Network help us reach our goals while also giving back to local families in need."

Food Recovery Network (FRN), headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the largest student-led movement recovering surplus food and ending hunger in the U.S. FRN unites 8,000+ college students, food suppliers, farmers, and local businesses across the U.S. in the fight against climate change and hunger by recovering surplus food from across the supply chain and donating it to local nonprofit organizations that feed people experiencing hunger.