K-12 Food Rescue: A Food Waste Solution Podcast

Hear the inspiring story Mia Boohoff,  a New Jersey High School student who noticed a lot of food being wasted in her elementary school when she was 8 years old.  

Listen to the inspiring story of Steve Gudorf, a retired food service administrator from the Indianapolis Public Schools, and how his team of volunteers gets rescued school food to children and families in need via the Martin Luther King Center in Indianapolis and other caring agencies to insure surplus food in IPS feeds families and not landfills.

Listen to the inspiring story of 6 Indianapolis Public Schools connecting with the Martin Luther King Center in Indianapolis to insure surplus food in IPS feeds families and not landfills. Lacrisha Hollins and Sarah Ferguson share how rescued food impacts the Martin Luther King Center, and the families that are served by the Center.

Hear the inspiring story of Shrusti Amula, a high school student in Rockville Maryland who started a composting program that led to three, then seven, and soon to be 10 schools in her school district composting their food waste instead of sending it to an incinerator emitting harmful methane gas into the environment.  Her interest in composting led her to discover K-12 Food Rescue online, and...

Pleasantview Elementary STEM teacher in Zionsville Indiana, Amy Brandau, shares her story of resuming K-12 Food Rescue after Covid, and continuing the legacy started by Jill McCune in her building.   

Listen to the school food waste journey of Jessica Shelly, Director of Student Dining Service at Cincinnati Public Schools, and her incredible leadership to implement share tables in all 67 Cincinnati public schools, resulting in over 580,000 food items rescued annually in Cincinnati Public Schools.  Be inspired!

Hear the inspiring story of South Bay Sustainable Community founder Tina Matthias, and how a community composting endeavor evolved to include a vibrant  student led K-12 Food Rescue project in multiple schools in her district.

Hear the inspiring story of a Helen Morgan Elementary teacher in New Jersey, Morgan Bleakley, as she shares how an 8 year old student came to her with an idea for their school to stop food wasting food in Sparta New Jersey, and the impact that followed.  

Jon Meinert is the director of Food Rescue and Transportation Second Helpings in Indianapolis. Hear how the logistics between Second Helpings and 11 Washington Township schools in Indianapolis have led to over half a million food items preserved since 2017 to feed children and families in need, and over 67,000 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents prevented from entering into the environment.

In 2021, Illinois passed historic school food waste solution legislation through SB805.   The legislation stated that school districts SHALL establish a plan in their wellness policy to address unused food within their school districts.  Representative Greenwood co-sponsored the bill in Illinois, and she shares her thoughts  about the bill and the importance of school food waste solutions in this...

Hear how Jennifer Anderson spearheaded the effort to have a school food waste solution turned into law in West Virginia.

Hear the inspiring story of how West Virginia Delegate Chad Lovejoy discovered the school food waste issue, and how he partnered with other advocates to craft HB4478, which led to many West Virginia schools adopting K-12 Food Rescue practices, but specifically breakfast and lunch share tables.  

Hear Amanda’s story about what piqued her interest in school food waste and how she went from knowing very little about the subject to being fully prepared to make a presentation to her school in 2 weeks.

Listen to Sara Sellitti’s inspiring journey as a K-12 Food Rescue leader in Dobbs Ferry New York. Sara discusses the success and challenges of starting a school garden, composting, and the K-12 Food Rescue food waste solution program in New York.

Hear the inspiring story of Kari Gassman and her journey to solve food waste and develop a K-12 Food Rescue program in her school district after witnessing several school lunch periods one afternoon.

Hear the inspiring story of how Leah McMichael learned about food waste in her school and put together a plan involving students in the solution.

Hear Jill McCune’s inspiring story of teaching kindergarten children about the value of food as a teacher in Zionsville Indiana leading a K-12 Food Rescue program, and solving food waste in her school since 2016.

Hear how 4 students, Ari, Emma, Megan, and Amaya, and their teacher Mrs. Anjali Das, worked together to start a K-12 Food Rescue food waste solution program in their school district in Upper Arlington Ohio.

Hear the inspiring story of Audra Shock, who was instrumental in starting a K-12 Food Rescue program in Hamilton Heights School District as well as The Noblesville School District. Audra also helped establish a Fueled for School program in Noblesville, insuring every student would have food over the weekend with a backpack program that sends food home with students who might need it.  Audra i...

Hear the inspiring story of Anjali Das, a school teacher in Upper Arlington Ohio who became inspired to solve the food waste issue in her school by empowering 9 students to impact their community and world through K-12 Food Rescue.

Hear Dr. Ghita Carroll’s inspiring story they started in 2005 to reduce food waste in the Boulder Valley School District. Dr. Carroll is the Sustainability Coordinator in the BVSD. Mary Rochelle also shares her experiences since joining the BVSD as a manager in the nutrition services department at BVSD!

Hear the Impact of K-12 Food Rescue and food waste solutions  in the Avon school district in Indiana from 30 year military veteran David Rieger, who is the director the Lutheran Church food pantry in Avon, and Emily Cates, the Director of Nutrition at Avon Schools.

Hear Linda Temme’s journey as a social worker and K-12 Food Rescue and food waste solution leader at Shortridge HS in the Indianapolis Public School District. Learn also about the Million Meal Day of Service where Shortridge HS students donated 28,000 meals in one day to local food pantries.

Hear Sydney Dressler’s inspiring story about re-starting Daniel Webster’s K-12 Food Rescue program to solve help solve the school's food waste problem after a year long induced Covid 19 shut down. Daniel Webster rescues over 30,000 food items per year through their K-12 Food Rescue program.

Listen to the inspiring story of Mohamed Patel, K-12 Food Rescue and food waste solution leader and teacher at Cypress high school in the Orlando Florida area.