How Do I Get Started Connecting Perishable Surplus Food From Restaurants with Caring Agencies? (K12FoodRescue.com Starts on PG. 14)

Introduction

Thank you for inquiring about Food Rescue. While 40% of our food is wasted, only about 4-8% of all restaurant waste at the kitchen level is thrown out, and some claim it as low as 1%. Over many years, Food Rescue has learned the policies of many national restaurants, and it is our desire to pass along what we have learned to inspire people around the country to serve their local caring agencies by acquiring perishable surplus food from restaurants on their behalf. Here you will find some basic pointers and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Food Rescue is a Not for Profit logistics company that provides information, mentoring, and training to concerned citizens on how to connect perishable surplus food from restaurants with caring agencies. We mentor people around the country about which restaurants to approach first, and how to approach a restaurant about the possibility of donating their daily surplus food that often is overlooked in our food chain. When citizens succeed, we share their stories via social media, blogging, and our website. We also purchase small freezers for restaurants to address food safety concerns.

You can partner with any and all food establishments for food donations, but you will need to establish a relationship with a 501c3 Not for Profit caring agency in your cityfirst that will receive perishable food and sign for the food if necessary. Without such a partnership, stores will not give you their nightly food waste to deliver to a food pantry.

FOOD RESCUE - GENERAL

What is My First Step to connect surplus food from restaurants and local caring agencies?

Step # 1: Seek a caring agency partner. Food banks in general are not wild about receiving “perishable foods” like bread, pre-made pizzas, etc. You must find an organization that has the ability to either package and store the food in a freezer, or to get the food in people’s stomachs immediately. While you may end up assisting in acquiring volunteers for the agency,it is best for you to support their volunteer efforts, rather than establish a volunteer organization of your own. Ask them about their food safety/handling standards, and if they comply with Safe Serve guidelines. Without this caring agency partner, it is almost impossible to succeed. It is critical to understand that you represent that agency partner rather than Food Rescue, as it represents a chance to connect the restaurant with the people and the agency in the community.

Once I find a Caring Agency Partner, What is Next?

Step #2-4:Utilize Informational Materials Found in This Document to Seek Surplus Food From Restaurants

  • Use the store list provided that indicates restaurants around the country that are friendly to food recovery to find out what restaurants might be willing to partner with the agency you select.
  • Call the store, or walk in and speak to an employee. Better yet, eat a meal and then ask to speak to a manager. Ask some of the questions noted in the FAQ.
  1. Ask if they throw out any of their food at the end of the day
  2. If the answer is “yes,” ask if the food could instead be packaged up and made available for a volunteer to pickup and transport to a local food pantry or shelter. Motivations for the store:
  1. Moral
  2. Tax advantages – generally the cost of ingredients plus half of the lost profits can be deducted, up to 2 times the cost basis; local state laws may provide additional benefits
  3. Good PR
  1. If there are safety or lack of quantity concerns, offer to purchase a 3x3 freezer on their behalf, (provided by Food Rescue) to alleviate both concerns.
  • If they are willing to donate, verify:
  1. What day(s) are available?
  1. What is the best time the pickups need to occur?
  1. If they can provide packaging for the food. Asking volunteers to bring their own bags will add a potentially prohibitive inconvenience. If they demand the agency provide packaging, check with the agency about the feasibility of the agency providing the packaging. Most of time restaurants provide the packaging, as the tax benefits far outweigh the cost of zip lock bags.
  1. What information and paperwork, if any, they require in order for pickups to begin – e.g. organization name, EIN, contact name, number, liability waiver
  1. Connect your partner agency with the restaurant. Describe to the agency exactly what the food is, the fact that it is perishable, and that it must be either distributed or frozen immediately.
  1. Allow the agency to work out the pick-up times and dates, and just follow up and make sure the details were finalized.
  1. If it is a restaurant that works with Food Donation Connection, reach out to them at foodtodonate.com, and let them know you have a connection for them to follow up on, and that you would be willing to assist in making the connection.
  1. Ask for cell phone pictures of the pick-ups from volunteers, and have them send you a text. Go to FoodRescue.net, and click on the Post a Picture Link. and we will place them on our website, social media sites, and blog. You can also text a picture to 317-694-4006

Questions to Ask the Restaurants

Food Rescue provides a list of restaurants that have a history of working with caring agencies, and we suggest starting with those restaurants first. Ask if they currently work with a caring agency to preserve their surplus food?

Ask if they are aware their corporation supports food recovery?

Ask if caring agencies can pick up surplus food at a given location on an agreed upon day?

If they indicate they do not have enough waste, ask them if they had a 3x3 freezer, if they would be willing to place their surplus food in a freezer, and have the food picked up once or twice a week if at the expense of Food Rescue?

Ask them if they are aware of enhanced tax deductions for donating food instead of throwing it out?

Ask them if they are aware that the 1996 Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Law provides store owners legal protections when they donate their food? Show them photos from around the country if necessary.

Other Frequently Asked Questions About Food Rescue

Am I a Food Rescue Volunteer?

No. You are a volunteer on behalf of your partner agency you locate.

Will Food Rescue Help Me?

Food Rescue will mentor you, purchase freezers, and provide educational materials, but you are serving your caring agency as a volunteer in the end.

Aren’t business owners concerned about liability?

There are Good Samaritan laws to protect businesses. Many food banks or caring agencies will also sign a liability waiver, if necessary.

RECIPIENT ORGANIZATIONS

How do I find a recipient organization?

Use the internet to its fullest capacity. Google searches, non-profit databases, your city or county’s website can all turn up potential recipients. Call local churches and faith based organizations to see if they work with any food pantries or food banks, or perhaps run one themselves.

Why won’t some food banks respond to my emails and phone calls?

The truth is that the vast majority of non-profit organizations are overworked and understaffed. Even if they would jump at the chance to receive the food, your message may have been lost, or fell too far down in the never-ending pile of important tasks. Persistence and patience can get you an answer from them. And when the hungry are fed, it is worth it in the end.

Step #5:Small Beginnings:

Start with one or two days a week at one restaurant. There are some great places to start! Their first question will always be who do you represent? It's important that you identify the caring agency, not Food Rescue. Before you seek the donation, you must have the support of the caring agency, and they must be able to receive the product. It makes no sense to attempt to acquire perishable food, if it cannot be safely preserved, and faithfully and picked up by the agency you are connecting them with.

Step #6: Tell Your Story:

Almost every restaurant we have ever connected with a caring agency is the result of someone at the restaurant sharing our story. Food Rescue will mentor you every step of the way on how to get your story out in the community you are serving.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS BELOW: PAGES 5-14

Introductory Letter to a Restaurant on a First Visit:

Address:

Phone:

Website:

Email:

Introduction:

Hi, my name is ______, and I am a volunteer for ______. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to talk with you about our program (organization).

Purpose:

"1-6 are hungry, 40 % of our food is wasted, let's fix it" is our motto. We have been inspired by an organization in Indianapolis, Indiana called Food Rescue, who has scheduled over 1 million meals to be rescued annually since 2007.

With Food Rescue's help, we would love to buy your store a 3 x 3 deep freezer and join to together to make a difference in this growing problem in America. Food Rescue currently partners with:

Current Restaurant Partners:

  • The NY Slice, City Barbeque, Charleston's, Texas Roadhouse, Panera Bread , Paradise Bakery, Great Harvest Bread, Bella Pizzeria, Big Apple Bagel, Little Caesars Pizza, Einstein Bagels ,City Barbeque ,Marsh ,Kroger, Cravens and Hubbard, and Boston Market

Food Recovery practices are also embraced by:

  • Bob Evans, Papa John's , Darden: (Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Longhorn, Steakhouse, Red Lobster ) Taco Bell, Auntie Annes, Long John Silver's, Capital Grill, KFC, Famous Dave's Barbeque, Cheesecake Factory, Pizza Hut. and many others.

Thank you for your consideration in advance. Please consider supporting ______through the safe donations of your surplus food to feed children and families in need in our community.

Best Regards,

Caring Agency Screening:

1) Are they safe serve trained?

2) Do they have freezers or refrigerators?

3) Do they serve food "soup kitchen" style?

4) Do they have volunteers to pick up food regularly?

5) Agencies must agree to either freeze food immediately, or heat it and serve it immediately. Restaurants do not want agencies it take their perishable food and put it in the refrigerator. Either freeze it or heat it up and serve it that day.

6) If they are not Safe Serve trained, you must know their food safety and food handling guidelines, so the restaurants can be assured their product will be handled safely and correctly, and presented in a very respectful manner.

The Food Rescue Freezer Program

In partnership with Lowes, Food Rescue is able to purchase a 3 x 3 five cubic foot deep freezer for$151to encourage restaurants to preserve their moderate daily food waste on behalf of children and families in need who utilize food pantries.

The freezer addresses both food safety and quantity concerns related to taking the time to preserve moderate daily food waste rather than discard it.

By providing your store with a 3 x 3 deep freeze to begin participating in food recovery safely, we can partner together to feed children and families in need in the community immediately, safely, and with pick-ups scheduled at convenient times.

Our investment in a $151 freezer and your willingness to preserve your nightly surplus food could yield the following sample results:

* City Barbeque: 4,333 meals rescued per year: 3 cents per meal

** Little Caesars: 15,000 meals per year: 1 cent per meal

*** Charleston's: 4,333 meals per year: 3 cents per meal

**** Texas Roadhouse: 4,333 meals per year: 3 cents per meal

***** Bella Pizzeria: 1,300 meals per year: 10 cents per meal

* City Barbeque figures based on 100 lbs. per week: 1.2 pounds per meal

** Little Caesars figures based on 70 pizzas per week, 2 pieces of pizza per meal

*** CharCharleston's figures based on 100 lbs. per week: 1.2 pounds per meal

****Texas Roadhouse figures based on 100 lbs. per week: 1.2 pounds per meal

*****Bella Pizzeria figures based on 25 meals per week, 2 pieces of pizza per meal

Income Tax Benefits for Food Donations

In August 2006, President Bush signed the Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Act which was included as part of the Pension Protection Act (Public Law 109-280). The act allows any business that donates food to a caring agency to potentially deduct up to twice the basis of the food donated. Your donation would be a Qualified Contribution to a caring agency that is a 501c3 not for profit business, and you would be able to deduct the cost of food donated plus one half of your unrealized gain for each donation in most cases. Internal Revenue Code Section 170(e)(3) provides the details of this special deduction. We urge you to contact your tax professional to explore this benefit.

What About My Liability?

It makes all kinds of sense to donate surplus and perishable food to people who are hungry. It also makes sense that well-meaning donors may be concerned about liability. The good news is that legislation provides uniform national protection to citizens, businesses, and non-profit organizations that act in good faith to donate, recover, and distribute excess food.

In 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. The act promotes food recovery by limiting the liability of donors to instances of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. Furthermore, the act says that in absence of these, neither the food donors nor Food Rescue can be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or apparently fit grocery products received as donations.

Congress recognized that providing food to its recommended date or sale is, in and of itself, not grounds for finding gross negligence. You may legally donate food that is marked close to code date for retail sale.

The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act also establishes basic nationwide uniform definitions pertaining to donation and distribution of nutritious foods, and helps assure that donated foods meet all federal, state and local laws and regulations for food quality and labeling standards.

In summary, this Act:

  • Protects you from liability when you donate food in good faith to Food Rescue
  • Protects you from both civil and criminal liability should a product be donated in good faith later harm a person in need.
  • Allows liability only for gross negligence or international misconduct in the donation of food items

In addition, according to Indiana law, ‘A person in good faith makes a gift of a food item to a charitable entity is not liable for civil damages arising from the use, condition, quality or content of that food item, unless the damages are the result of that person’s intentional, knowing, or reckless misconduct.’

Please consider the tax benefit of your food donation in helping our community.

Thank you,

* above liability and tax information provided by Second Helpings Inc in Indianapolis

Sample FAQ's from a typical restaurant owner or franchise owner. We use Mcalisters as an example only. Insert the name of the restaurant you are meeting with and call it the "XYZ company cares program"

MCALISTER'S CARES PRGRAM FAQ'S

  1. Will a caring agency receiving rescued food sign a liability waiver?

In most instances, yes, however, in the long run the slim risk of a lawsuit in most cases come from the end user of the food pantry, rather than the food pantry.

  1. Do the Good Samaritan Laws mean a food establishment cannot have a lawsuit brought against them?

No, anyone can sue anyone in our country, however, the standards to be found guilty are very high due to the Good Samaritan Laws that lawsuits are infrequent and rarely successful. When weighing the good public relations, caring in the community, and tax advantages against the odds of a lawsuit, the benefits of giving far outweigh the risk.

  1. Are Safe Serve Guidelines followed?

There are no guarantees volunteers will be trained with Safe Serve Guidelines, however, Mcalister's can guarantee they do not give any bags of food away to a volunteer that does not have a cooler. Volunteers will sign a sheet promising to deliver the food to the agreed upon caring agency and place the bags in a freezer within 2 hours. This will insure the food will not be in a temperature between 40 and 140 degrees for longer than 2 hours. Since the volunteers are not handling the food inside the bag, and since the food will be picked up in a rock solid frozen condition, these are very high food handling standards for volunteers.

  1. How many days per week will volunteers pick up?

With a Food Rescue 3 x 3 freezer, once a week may be all that is necessary, however, if more pick-ups are needed, the caring agencies will respond to that need.