Food Rescue US - Lansing Communities

08/19/2026

08/16/2026

Food prices have risen 19.1% since 2022—more than any of the other basic household needs shown in this graphic from the Michigan League for Public Policy.
Here in Mid-Michigan, 19% of children in Ingham County face hunger, along with 16% in Eaton County and 12% in Clinton County.
Improving food access takes many people and organizations, each contributing in different ways: commercial food donors, volunteers, food pantries and other community organizations, as well as municipalities, health departments and civic groups.
Food Rescue US–Lansing Communities contributes one practical piece of that larger effort. When a local business has good food it cannot use or sell, our volunteers pick it up and deliver it directly to a nearby organization serving the community.
We are grateful to the donors, volunteers and receiving organizations that make these rescues possible—and we always welcome more food businesses interested in participating.
To learn more about donating excess food, call or text 517-349-6660.

08/14/2026

08/14/2026

08/09/2026

**APPLES & ORANGES? WHAT SHOULD COUNT AS “BEST PRACTICE” IN FOOD RESCUE?**

What we measure matters. What we count becomes what we reward—and eventually, the system we build.

When we report “pounds rescued,” are we counting food picked up and delivered, even if some is later composted or discarded?

Or are we counting food that actually reaches people—in grocery bags, congregate meals or forms usable by people without kitchens?

Imagine flats of berries delivered Friday afternoon to a pantry with no walk-in cooler and no weekend hours. They were picked up. They were delivered. They counted. By Monday, they are compost.

Should “rescued” be determined at the receiving dock—or by the outcome?

Weight alone doesn’t tell the whole story, either. A pound of fresh produce and a pound of days-old pastries count the same on a spreadsheet, although what they offer a community may be quite different. Food recovered close to home is also different from highly perishable food trucked across the country—or across countries.

Our direct-transfer network addresses some of this. Food generally moves from a local commercial donor directly to a nearby nonprofit, usually within 30 minutes and often close to the time it will be distributed. That limits transportation, storage and spoilage. But we still estimate and report pounds at delivery—not what ultimately happens to every pound.

Better measures would help every food-rescue model learn and improve.

**A pound is a unit of activity. Public benefit is the outcome.**

What should we measure before calling any food-rescue practice “best”? We would especially like to hear from food pantries, community kitchens, donors, volunteers and the neighbors receiving this food.

08/02/2026

Recent messages from our receiving agencies reminded us that food rescue gives volunteers something especially meaningful: agency.

A rescue is not simply picking up boxes and dropping them off. Volunteers see firsthand how local businesses handle surplus food—and how relieved employees often are to know that good food will be used rather than thrown away.

They then carry that food into shelters, food pantries, recovery programs, housing communities, churches, and other organizations doing important work. They meet the people behind those agencies and see how rescued food becomes nourishing meals, stretched budgets, greater stability, and sometimes a lifeline for someone having a difficult week.

Volunteers make decisions, solve problems, build relationships, and complete the connection themselves. They experience the gratitude on both ends: from the businesses glad to see their food rescued and from the organizations and people grateful to receive it.

Our agency partners describe food rescue volunteers as timely, friendly, kind, caring, thoughtful, and always willing to help—even unloading cars and stocking shelves. One partner said simply that the volunteers “do all of the hard work” that makes these community connections possible.

Food rescue offers more than a volunteer task. It gives people a window into their community—and a direct, personal role in making it work better. Sign up: https://foodrescue.us/lansing-communities/

If reducing waste, feeding people, and building stronger community connections reflect your values, consider becoming a food rescuer. [email protected]

Food Rescue US - Lansing Communities rescues surplus food from any business and delivers it to social service agencies. Feed people, not landfills. Join us!

07/28/2026

Thank you to Food Rescue US - Lansing Communities for coming out to join with us in a tour of our garden, horticultural discussion, and most importantly connecting with the shared mission of enhancing food secuity for our communities! We hope to work with you closely as we go forward! Our board had a great time and loved talking and meeting you all! Come back anytime!!

07/20/2026

What motivates people to volunteer? Well, food rescue brings together people and organizations with shared core values: feeding people, reducing waste, and strengthening community.

Food donors set aside good surplus food. Receiving agencies place it into the hands of neighbors who need it. And volunteers are the connective tissue between excess and access—turning those shared values into action through each pickup and delivery.

The time commitment may be small, but the impact is immediate: less food wasted, more fresh food available, and a stronger community network.

If reducing waste and helping feed people reflect your own core values, consider joining us for a rescue.

[email protected] - https://lnkd.in/eV_aJGk6

07/14/2026

FROM SPARTY TERRITORY
..Generous Food Donors & Volunteer Rescuers/Neighbors meet area non-profit social service agencies' needs for fresh food directly delivered!
[email protected]