Dear Food Rescue Partnership Stakeholders and Friends,

As we ring in the New Year and a new decade, I would like to reflect on the last year and what is to come for the Food Rescue Partnership.

In 2019, we focused on our Food Rescue Recognition Program. We collaborated with the Iowa Waste Reduction Center to create table tents that recognize our Members of Food Rescue and provide tips to reduce food waste at home. You can see these on the tables at some of our Member locations. The recognition program also added Garden Ministry of Asbury United Methodist Church as a Member of Food Rescue bringing us to 17 local establishments that are participating in food rescue efforts.

I am confident Food Rescue Partnership Stakeholders and Community Partners will continue to be our strongest asset. We have 10 organizations with stakeholders actively involved from both sides of the river ranging from health departments, to non-profits, universities, private companies, and community members, and 11 community partners ranging from local, to statewide, to regional. All our outreach activities and materials have been provided through volunteerism, in-kind donations, and grants from your hard work.

To date, the Food Rescue Partnership has diverted more than 48,455 pounds of food from the landfill by making connections to feed hungry people, feed animals, and/or compost.

This year, I look forward to planning and hosting an inaugural trivia night and our third Food Rescue Workshop while continuing to maintain our food rescue outreach and education. None of which would be possible without your dedication to make the Quad Cities a community dedicated to eliminating food waste. Your hard work is making a direct impact to keep food as a valuable resource. On behalf of myself and the Food Rescue Partnership Board, thank you.

Happy New Year,

Christina McDonough, Board Chair

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