March 3 is national “I want you to be happy day,” and we can’t think of a better time to thank our awesome supporters. We hope knowing how much we appreciate you brings a smile to your face. And we hope that your heart is warmed as you reflect on the impact your support has on our neighbors who face food insecurity.
The last two years have been challenging for so many in our community. Saving Grace adapted our operations to provide more food than ever before to feed those in need. We couldn’t do this without our network of over 70 food donors and the 40-plus nonprofit partners that use this nutritious food to feed their clients. Our financial donors provide the funds needed to ensure our fleet of refrigerated trucks is on the road every weekday and that our day-to-day operations are fully staffed. As grassroots advocates promote awareness of wasted food and hunger, many in our community are reducing the amount of wasted food in their lives, which keeps food out of our landfills.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to you for your dedication to our mission. No matter how you choose to support Saving Grace, it’s making a difference for our community and for our environment.
Watch for Saving Grace’s Impact Report, coming in April, that will detail 2021 accomplishments.
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Nourishing People, Nurturing the Planet |
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As we continue our work to nourish people while nurturing the planet, we ask for your continued support. Our focus this year is rescuing and redistributing nutritious, surplus perishable food to create a more equitable and sustainable food system. Specific goals for this year include:
- Keep 800,000 pounds of food out of the waste stream by providing it to our nonprofit agencies to feed their clients.
- Deliver 235,000 pounds of Farmers to Families Food Boxes to nonprofit agencies while this program continues.
- Ensure food donations are reaching audiences that have limited access to good nutrition.
- Increase the number of businesses that donate their surplus food rather than tossing it in the trash.
- Grow a “no wasted food” culture where community members become more engaged in keeping food out of our landfills.
Our work to provide fresh, nutritious food to those who are food insecure and reduce food waste continues year-round. Please support our work now and in the coming months. Make a donation.
Shown above, turkeys donated by the Hy-Vee Shadow Lake location.
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Saving Grace Board Elects New Officers |
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Anna Cramer has been elected chair of the Saving Grace Board of Directors for 2022. Cramer, who is chief legal and advocacy officer at Nebraska Medicine, has served on the board since 2019.
Other officers are:
- Vice chair – Lenli Corbett, Home Instead Charities
- Treasurer – Andrew Wong, FNBO
- Secretary – Thomas Hall, Physician’s Mutual
Board members also include:
- Laurie Hellbusch, Spirit World
- Erik Bird, Eat Fit Go
- Peggy Dunn, Farm Credit Services of America
- Beth Ostdiek Smith, Saving Grace president/CEO/founder
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Q and A with Board Chair Anna Cramer
What are you most excited about this coming year as you serve as board chair?
Our community faced unprecedented challenges over the past two years brought on by COVID-19. In particular, the pandemic reinforced the critical importance of organizations like Saving Grace that work to fight food insecurity. The entire Saving Grace team did a wonderful job adjusting time and again to the changing needs of our community and food donors. I’m excited to see Saving Grace continue to grow the new partnerships and innovative ideas developed during COVID-19 to bring us into the next chapter of Saving Grace’s impact.
Why is being part of Saving Grace’s board important to you and how did you get involved?
I first learned about Saving Grace when it was founded in 2013, and I followed its development with great interest even before joining the board in 2019. The vision of Saving Grace – to feed the hungry with perishable food that would otherwise go to waste - is such a simple concept, but it has a tremendous impact. It’s a wonderful privilege to serve on the board and be a part of Saving Grace.
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Saving Grace CEO Participates in Food Waste Panel
Saving Grace founder and CEO Beth Ostdiek Smith was a panelist on a webinar for Oppenheim, an educational nonprofit that reports on nonprofit organizations, issues and leaders. The February 10 Nonprofit Spotlight series was hosted by Mark Oppenheim, who lead a discussion about food waste with Beth and other panelists - Leah Lizarondo, co-founder and CEO of 412 Rescue; Carol Shatluck, CEO of Food Rescue US, and Arlan Preblud, founder and executive director of We Don't Waste.
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Tracy Wells Retires from Saving Grace |
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Best wishes to Tracy Wells on her retirement. Tracy has been an advocate for Saving Grace since our early years when she was a member of the board of directors. She later transitioned to our leadership team, serving as development director and director of engagement.
Thank you, Tracy, for your dedication and commitment to Saving Grace and to our vision over the years. We look forward to your continued involvement and enthusiasm as a volunteer and member of our community engagement committee.
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“Saving Grace does so much good in our community. We gather perishable food and route it to food delivery experts - our nonprofit partners. Ultimately, we feed our hungry neighbors and keep valuable food out of the landfill. What mission could possibly be more meaningful or more resourceful?”
- Tracy Wells, volunteer and recently retired director of engagement
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