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A Message From The Executive Board
A recent article in the Los Angeles Times addressed the subject of food waste and its impact on climate change. The information there has really stayed with me. The topic has drawn a lot of attention as globally, about one-third of all food that is produced is never eaten. About 13% of food produced is lost between harvest and market, while 19% is thrown out by households, restaurants, or stores.
It is estimated that 316 million pounds of food will have been wasted in the U.S. on Thanksgiving alone. This is equivalent to half a billion dollars’ worth of groceries thrown away in a single day. While some food waste is inevitable (it can degrade quickly) there are ways to reduce food waste.
The simplest thing is to reduce the amount of food being produced in the first place. And we, as consumers, can be encouraged to eat all of what we buy and lower the temperatures on our refrigerator to prevent food from going bad. Also, there has been a growing push to more clearly label food so that we understand all the dates on packaging. Food safety is important, to be sure. And there is a growing movement to identify foods by the “best if used by” label. Most food that has a “sell by” date is still good to eat and should not be thrown out.
The North Hollywood Food Pantry benefits from a devoted group of folks that make a circuit of participating grocery stores and bakeries that are willing to donate unsold food. This group is referred to as the “Bagel Brigade.” We rely on the food that is given to us that we may offer fresh items along with our standard sacks of non-perishable food items. Thus, we are accomplishing more than one goal – putting food on people’s tables and doing our part to eliminate food waste.
I feel good about what we do at the pantry, and as a supporter, I hope you do too!
Thank you and happy holidays!
Louise Sloan Goben
Chair, Board of Directors
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