Food Recovery Initiative Delivers Over 58,000 Pounds of Nourishment to Greater Brainerd, MN Community in Under One Year

BRAINERD, Minn., April 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Food Recovery Network (FRN) is excited to announce significant milestones in food recovery and sustainability efforts through Central Lakes Community College in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Central Lakes College has made notable strides in local food security initiatives, distributing over 58,000 pounds of surplus food this school year. This August, Central Lakes Community College was one of five community colleges that were awarded FRN grants as part of the organization's inaugural cohort of Community College chapters. "We're being intentional about building chapters at community colleges," states Regina Harmon, FRN Executive Director. "Our data analysis revealed that two-year community colleges are more frequently located in areas with greater food access and food waste disparities across the U.S. We are proud of the achievements of our first community college cohort, and we are grateful to Central Lakes Community College for leading the way to feeding more people, faster."

Erich Heppner, Director of Student Life at Central Lakes College, said, "Our partnership with the Food Recovery Network has been transformational. Not only have we mobilized a significant amount of fresh, high-quality produce, but we have also engaged our students in meaningful work that benefits the community. The energy and commitment from our student employees are inspiring; they are actively driving solutions to food insecurity and taking pride in making a difference every day."

As Food Recovery Network prepares to expand its community college initiative into its second year, Central Lakes Community College is also gearing up to broaden its efforts this summer and fall. There has been strong interest in FRN's second national community college cohort— grant applications for the 2025 school year close tomorrow, April 30th.

In addition to the initiative at Central Lakes Community College, Minnesota is home to six other college chapters, including Bemidji State University, Carleton College, Macalester College, Minnesota State University, Mankato, St. Olaf College, and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Together, these chapters recovered over 60,000 pounds of surplus food throughout 2024.

In the past year, FRN has also launched an elementary school produce distribution initiative in the greater St. Paul area, with support from Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy. FRN distributes free fresh surplus produce at Title 1 elementary schools to benefit young children and families experiencing hunger, while also supporting local farmers.

FRN's community college initiative is also funded in part by Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and The Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation.

• To join the food recovery movement and help expand FRN's efforts to reach even more individuals facing food insecurity, visit www.foodrecoverynetwork.org/donate.

• Visit foodrecoverynetwork.org to learn more about the largest student-led movement recovering surplus food and ending hunger in the U.S.

• To interview Regina Harmon, Executive Director, please contact us at sarah.corbin@foodrecoverynetwork.org, 708-714-1357.

Food Recovery Network (FRN) is a national nonprofit that mobilizes 8,000 college students, food providers, and local businesses in the fight against climate change and hunger by recovering perishable food across the supply chain that would otherwise go to waste and donating it to organizations that feed people experiencing hunger. As the largest student-led movement recovering surplus food and ending hunger, FRN's programs are on nearly 200 college campuses and 100 food businesses in 46 states and D.C., and they have recovered more than 22.9 million pounds of food to date – the equivalent of 19 million meals donated to feed individuals experiencing hunger and 7419.5 metric tons of CO2e prevented from entering our atmosphere.

SOURCE Food Recovery Network, Inc.

Food Recovery Network Makes Significant Strides in Washington D.C. to Combat Food Waste and Hunger

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Food Recovery Network (FRN) announces significant achievements in its efforts to combat food insecurity in the Washington, D.C. area. Through a partnership with the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center, FRN has successfully saved 67,853 pounds of food in just two years to support local organizations fighting hunger.

Food Recovery Network volunteer with packed surplus food ready to deliver to hunger-fighting community partner.

"Our partnership with Gaylord National Resort has been transformative. In just two years, we've recovered over 67,000 pounds of surplus food. We've been able to work with 8 area hunger-fighting nonprofits - which means those pounds of precious food have provided the equivalent of over 56,000 meals for people in our community experiencing hunger," said Regina Harmon, Executive Director. "This collaboration demonstrates the power of partnerships to create meaningful, sustainable change for communities."

The positive impact extends beyond the number of meals provided. The recovered food has also resulted in significant environmental benefits. FRN's work has helped save 7.81 million gallons of water—equivalent to 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools—and mitigated nearly 43.76 metric tons of CO2 emissions, comparable to removing ten passenger vehicles from the road for a year. This success underscores the power of collaboration in addressing both hunger and environmental sustainability.

FRN and Gaylord National began their official partnership in June of 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. This is enough food to allow FRN to support multiple agencies in the extended community every time we receive a donation.

FRN is the largest student-led organization in the U.S. dedicated to recovering surplus food and ending hunger. With over 200 chapters nationwide, FRN has three active university chapters in Washington, D.C.: American University, Georgetown University, and George Washington University. Together, for more than 10 years, these chapters have successfully redirected an impressive additional 20,000 pounds of surplus food to fight food insecurity in the area.

This impactful work aligns perfectly with several upcoming awareness dates: March 30th (Day of Zero Waste), April 7-13th (Food Waste Prevention Week), April 22nd (Earth Day), and April 30th (Stop Food Waste Day). These dates highlight the importance of our collective efforts to reduce food waste and FRN's commitment to shaping a future where food is not wasted and all people have access to nutritious food. FRN's achievements demonstrate the tangible results possible through partnerships and community engagement.

Visit foodrecoverynetwork.org to learn more about this D.C.-based nonprofit.

To join us for a food recovery or interview Regina Harmon, Executive Director, please contact us at sarah.corbin@foodrecoverynetwork.org, 708-714-1357.

Food Recovery Network (FRN) is a national nonprofit that mobilizes 8,000 college students, food providers, and local businesses in the fight against climate change and hunger by recovering perishable food across the supply chain that would otherwise go to waste and donating it to organizations that feed people experiencing hunger. As the largest student-led movement recovering surplus food and ending hunger, FRN's programs are on nearly 200 college campuses and 100 food businesses in 46 states and D.C., and they have recovered more than 22.9 million pounds of food to date – the equivalent of 19 million meals donated to feed individuals experiencing hunger and 7419.5 metric tons of CO2e prevented from entering our atmosphere.

SOURCE Food Recovery Network, Inc.

Regina Harmon featured on Unite to Fight Poverty's Fight Club! Podcast

We're thrilled to share that Food Recovery Network’s Executive Director, Regina Harmon, was recently featured on Unite to Fight Poverty’s Fight Club! Podcast hosted by Elizabeth Swindell! In this episode, Regina discusses the work FRN is doing to combat food insecurity, including our initiatives like free produce distribution markets, community refrigerators, and our community college grants program.

Regina also shares her experience leading FRN and the transformative impact we’ve had across the U.S., working directly with communities to tackle hunger and support economic security. Be sure to listen to the full episode to hear her powerful insights and learn how you can make a difference in your own community!

Listen to the episode on Spotify or YouTube.

Within the Lotus of Control: What we can do in times of uncertainty

In times of uncertainty, it’s important to remember we do have control. There are always small actions we can take to enact change, even when so much around us feels overwhelming. Right now, many of us who are committed to transforming our food systems (for the better) are feeling the effects of the chaos, but the truth is: We can still take action even when we may feel a little stuck in the mud.

For years, whenever I heard the term “locus of control,” I visualized a lotus flower. The words sound so similar (locus vs lotus, c’mon!) that over time, I actually started combining the two words to unlock a way to think through disorder and anxiety. Now when I focus on my “lotus of my control,” I direct my feelings of uncertainty and center on the beauty, the joy symbolized by the lotus and my ability to nurture something tender and important, something hearty, rhizomatically rooted, and perennial. Just as Thick Nhat Hahn said, "No mud, no lotus,” the lotus has helped give me a gentle reminder that our struggles can help us blossom, grow, regenerate, and sustain.

When we’re faced with uncertainty, it’s natural to feel grief, anger, a sense of being lost, even heart-thumping anxiety. My take: Don’t rationalize away suffering just yet. In those moments of fight, flight, freeze, or fawn, thinking of what lies within our "lotus of control" offers a sense of direction. We can thank our brain for trying to keep us safe from unknown harm, while also reminding our brain and body we have power—and we can grow power. Progress mostly happens in small ways over time. Even amid the noise and challenges we are witnessing around us, we still have the power to focus on the small actions that are within our reach—get through the mud, and through that journey, bloom progress. Here’s what I’m focusing on: 

1. Recovering Food: Small Acts of Compassion

For us at Food Recovery Network, taking small actions means remembering that no meal is too small to recover. Every meal recovered is a step towards reducing food waste, addressing hunger, and helping maintain the value of that precious food. 

If you’re hosting an event, consider providing to-go boxes for guests or have a leftovers-themed party (aka invite your friends to bring their surplus food for a shared evening of connection).  Bonus points for bringing a person you’d like to get to know a little better. Moreover, when organizing your own event, whether it's a catered lunch at the office or a baby shower, make a plan for what to do with the surplus food when the event wraps up. Involve your association or company in ending food waste. Simply asking the question, “What is our plan for leftovers?” is a wonderfully important and small step. 

Each thoughtful act of kindness can ripple through our communities, fostering a sense of solidarity and compassion. It’s a beginning; it’s a commitment to nurturing something for all of us.

2. Commit to a Living Wage: Advocate for Fair Compensation

It's critical to provide fair wages to people for their labor. One of the first steps to ensuring people everywhere are food secure is to commit to paying everyone a living wage. If you set this as an intention, so much more positivity will follow. If you or your leadership keeps saying, "We can't afford it," or “It’s not in the budget this year,” then you simply won't take the initiative to make any changes. We cannot be justified in underpaying people because it’s not in the budget to do so. It may not happen overnight, but we must organize our businesses to pay people at minimum a living wage.

I hope that everyone reading this is paying their staff or coworkers a living wage. But, if you're not, it's time to take action. It’s crucial to provide basic benefits when we can, like a retirement plan and health insurance. These are fundamental components of treating people with dignity and respect. And the sooner you or your leadership commits to altering your operations to ensure a living wage, the sooner you’ll make it happen.

3. Introduce Yourself Now To Your Elected Officials

Participating in democracy is one of the most impactful ways to effect change. When the current administration suddenly froze government grants, there was such an outcry that the freeze was lifted (not without serious consequences that are still being waded through). Said another way, people participated in their democracy and change was affected. Often, we may feel like our voices don’t matter, but building relationships with our elected officials can create channels for dialogue and advocacy.

Start by introducing yourself to your representatives. Attend town hall meetings, participate in community forums, or even reach out to legislators through email or their official social media accounts. Express your concerns, share your experiences, and advocate for issues that matter to you, such as food justice or living wages. When elected officials know who you are and what you care about, they are more likely to listen and consider your concerns when making decisions that affect the community.

4. Be Kind to Yourself

Finally, this is an emotional time. For many of us reading this, our whole careers are about taking action. Let’s be gracious with ourselves. Maybe part of getting through this time of uncertainty is scheduling some time for reflection—taking some time to educate yourself in a way that helps you prepare for future activation. 

Pick up some poetry from Joy Harjo.

Read Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists by Leah Penniman or Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor.

By embracing the scope of what we can control and breaking down our efforts into manageable pieces, we can make substantial contributions to our communities. Recovering food, advocating for a living wage, and engaging with our elected officials may seem large and unscalable at first. But, when we keep simplifying the action into a smaller component, and a group of individuals takes those small actions collectively, we can spark significant change.

We have the power to change our world—it is in our lotus of control—one small action at a time. 

Originally appeared in the Feb 10th edition of The Food Policy Debrief, by Food Systems Collaborative

Announcing Grant Application Open - 2025 Community College Food Recovery Cohort

Food Recovery Network Opens Applications for Second Community College Food Recovery Grant Cohort

Washington, D.C. — Food Recovery Network (FRN) is excited to announce the opening of applications for the second year of its Community College Food Recovery Grant Program. This initiative aims to establish and strengthen food recovery programs at community colleges across the United States, helping to combat food waste while supporting people experiencing hunger within local communities.

Community colleges play a crucial role in addressing food insecurity in their areas and serve as essential hubs for food recovery efforts. The five Community Colleges participating in FRN’s inaugural 2024 cohort recovered more than 100,000 pounds of food—the equivalent of 83,000 meals.

This year, FRN will award grants to an additional five deserving community colleges, which will also receive recognition for their innovative contributions to this critical cause. The selected institutions will receive one year of technical and financial assistance to implement robust food recovery programs, starting in Summer/Fall 2025.

“The expansion of our Community College Food Recovery Grant Program reflects our commitment to harnessing the potential of community colleges in the fight against hunger,” said Regina Harmon, Executive Director at FRN. “We believe in the existing critical relationship community colleges serve all across the U.S. We believe that by providing resources and support, these institutions can effectively connect surplus food with community members facing food insecurity, feeding more people faster.”

Community colleges are encouraged to apply for the grant.

Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2025, at midnight ET. Recipients will be notified by May 31, 2025. Financial assistance will be determined based on the proposed scale and frequency of each school’s food waste prevention program.

For additional details about the grant program and application process, please visit www.foodrecovery.org/community-college-food-recovery-grant or contact programs@foodrecoverynetwork.org.