Food Desert Delivery

The Natural Resources Defense Council says the US wastes up to 40% of its food every year. That’s 20 pounds of food for every American. Reducing this waste by just 15% could feed more than 25 million Americans every year.

In the nation’s capital, DC Central Kitchen tries to do its part to prevent food waste. Chief Development Officer Brian McNair gives us a tour of the kitchen where volunteers and staff turn food that might otherwise get thrown out by restaurants or hotels into tasty salads and stews. They also buy produce that might not be attractive enough for grocery stores-- keeping local farmers from having to plow it under as compost.

DC Central Kitchen delivers meals to local homeless shelters, schools, transitional housing, and other organizations.  It also gets healthy snacks and produce into food deserts—areas that don’t have access to grocery stores. Their Healthy Corners program delivers to Milestone Place where Case Manager Deborah Smith says residents love their trail mix and grapes.

The DC Central Kitchen hosts its annual Capital Food Fight October 8^th.