Whole Foods supporting food rescue
Whole Foods Market donated its 50th refrigerated van to support local nonprofit organizations as part of the Nourishing Our Neighborhood program. Launched in 2020, this initiative aims to expand the capacity and capability of community-based food rescue organizations across the U.S. and Canada to move food from where it’s available to where it’s needed most. Each van can rescue 20,000 pounds of food weekly, diverting 1.04 million pounds of food per year from landfills and providing over 8.5 million meals over its 10-year life cycle.
“This van donation marks a significant step in Whole Foods Market’s commitment to nourishing local communities,” said Kera Glass, team leader for community giving and engagement at Whole Foods Market. “Through these van donations, we’re not only ensuring more food reaches those in need but also making a lasting impact in reducing waste and fostering community well-being across 44 cities.”
In addition to donating refrigerated vans, the Nourishing Our Neighborhood program facilitates Mobile Pantry events in communities Whole Foods Market serves. These free events are farmers market-style and held in collaboration with nonprofit food-rescue organizations participating in Whole Foods Market’s Grocery Rescue Program. Each event provides pantry staples and fresh produce for over 700 families facing food insecurity. Whole Foods Market plans to hold an additional six Mobile Pantry events in October 2024. Each of the participating organizations will receive a refrigerated van in early 2025. Whole Foods Market also maintains a robust food donation program at its stores. In 2023 alone, Whole Foods Market donated 28 million meals to nearly 1,000 food rescue and redistribution programs across the country.
Whole Foods Market plans to continue expanding the program with the introduction of Ford E-Transit electric refrigerated vehicles to the fleet later this year. These all-electric vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions, meaning they can have significant emissions benefits over conventional vehicles. As with the previous vans, these electric vans are also refrigerated, so recipient nonprofits can pick up perishable and non-perishable items, resulting in even more rescued food. Each vehicle will come with a Level 2 charging station, with the first electric vehicles scheduled to arrive in select markets this fall.
