A Message from Karl Osterhout About Food Waste and 412 Food Rescue

I know that we here at OBL talk a lot about 412 Food Rescue, but it’s really just because there is so much to talk about! So much food waste (amazing amounts wasted!) even while so many folks face a constant (and often losing) battle to feed themselves and their kids! But Leah Lizarondo and her amazing team, often called the “Uber for food recovery,” has an amazing web platform and community-based system which makes it incredibly easy to help, using their “Food Heroes” app! Not only have they already helped redirect over 9 million meals from over 2300 food retailers, by the currently operating in six cities, Leah’s plan is to create a global movement that reaches 100 cities by 2030! And not only that, Vital Voices has honored Leah as one of their 2020 Global Leadership Award honorees for her amazing work. Please take the time, especially as we enter into the time of year when family and community and food are virtually synonymous, to listen to this brief video of Leah explaining her vision for making the world a better place.

One of the things I frequently think about when I think of 412FR is that Leah’s vision is one that really transcends politics; in this time when everything is so oppositional and stressful in the world from a political point of view, I enjoy reflecting on the vision like hers that can unite us all – after all, what is there to disagree within the plan to get food from people who are going to throw it away anyway into the hands of people who don’t have enough?