The San Diego Unified School District is working to ensure that leftover school food aids hungry people.
The district is part of a program that uses the leftover food from school breakfast and lunches as donations to local charities and nonprofits.
The partnership with Feeding San Diego has given rise to the district’s Love Food Not Waste program. Since September, 30,000 pounds of food has been kept out of the landfill, providing 25,000 meals to people in the area, including those helped by the San Diego Rescue Mission and the Ronald McDonald House.
Right now San Diego Unified distributes the meals through prep kitchens in 11 schools. By the end of the school year the program will expand so that all 19 prep kitchens are distribution sites.
In addition, the number of nonprofits that receive food will increase. “We will expand it to as many partners who are willing and able to take these meals,” said Feeding San Diego Director of Programs Kelcey Ellis.
Ellis does not know if there are any other school districts that participate in similar food recovery programs. She believes that San Diego’s Love Food Not Waste program could be a possible model.
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