Rescuing Leftover Cuisine Expands its Capacity and Impact in 2023

Since 2013, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC) has been redistributing excess food by matching food donors to nonprofit organizations feeding the food insecure in several communities. With the help of its proprietary technology and volunteer rescuers, RLC efficiently redistributes excess food daily.

Initially, RLC concentrated on smaller-scale food pickups that food-rescue organizations in New York City and other markets overlooked. To reach its 2023 goal to rescue four million pounds of food, RLC is now focusing on large-scale food pickups. Rather than rescues operationalized on foot or by car, large-scale pickups will use trucks, expanding their footprint within their markets and beyond as RLC works directly with food producers and distributors. 

According to the USDA, in 2020 and 2021, food costs increased nearly 13 percent, the largest increase in 40 years, with 13.5 million U.S. households identified as food-insecure during 2021. As a result, there has been a record demand at food banks with a decrease in supply. However, through large-scale food pickups, RLC is pursuing a practical solution in which food is not wasted and hunger can be eliminated.