Every day, dozens of bagels leave a colorful restaurant on Georgia Avenue in Washington, D.C. Some make it to regular customers; others end up in the hands of families struggling to put food on the table.
Through a partnership with the Every Neighbor United for Food program, Call Your Mother deli donates 360 pounds of food each week to fight hunger in our region.
“I grew up in a home where my grandmother and my mom said to me: ‘No food should be wasted.’ We learned that when we were very little, and I think it’s really important. The truth is, restaurants have it very tough because, yes, there’s a lot of waste,” said Daniela Moreira, co-owner of the restaurant chain.
For the Argentine-born chef, this initiative not only recognizes the work of those who supply and prepare the food, but also represents a way to reinvest in the community that supports her business.
According to data from the Capital Area Food Bank, more than 1.5 million people in the DMV have faced food insecurity over the past year.
To help close that gap, DC Food Rescue launched a program that coordinates the rescue, transport and distribution of food to communities that need it.
“We coordinate about 270 active volunteers, and every day they will claim, or they’ll say, ‘I’ll do that rescue.’ And then they go pick up the surplus foods and then deliver it to the receiving agencies,” said Dr. Anthony Panzera, executive director of Every Neighbor United for Food.
In Call Your Mother’s case, the effort is coordinated with volunteers who make 15 pickups a week across the company’s seven participating locations. The restaurant chain says the food is then distributed to shelters, food banks, schools and other sites.
To date, Call Your Mother reports it has donated 11,340 pounds of food.
“That’s why this partnership is so great — because they know exactly, and they’re in touch with these organizations that know who needs it,” Moreira emphasized.
As for DC Food Rescue, the organization has helped at least 200 area restaurants donate their surplus food.
Panzera, for his part, finds personal motivation in this work. After experiencing food insecurity in his young adulthood, he encourages families going through similar situations to seek help and make use of available resources.
“There are people out there. There are organizations and programs. Do not be afraid. I think the key is to know that there are people who understand the struggles of people who experience food insecurity and hunger. And it’s an issue that nobody should have to endure,” the executive director said.
Moreira urged others to join the initiative.
“I would say there’s a tremendous amount of help in the DMV area — and you can also find it across the country. Look for it, ask around and get involved in these wonderful initiatives that help in every way possible,” she concluded.
DC United for Food is recruiting both restaurants and volunteers. See here how to get involved.
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/hMRlYQ9
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