04/14/2025
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT โจ
Weโre proud to shine the light on today! We reached out to Executive Director, Dr. Megan Franco to tell us a little more about what this amazing organization is up to ๐๐ป
โโ
โข ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ + ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ!
>> NOVA-FR is an innovative non-profit in which we rescue perfectly good food from a number of donors + redistribute throughout Prince William Countyโs hundreds of feeding programs. This huge feat is managed through an app to ensure that our community is eating nutritious food, while reducing waste from going to our landfills.
โข ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ?
>> In Spring 2024, NOVA-FR had a very exciting rescue from a major coffee chain. Nearly 100,000 breakfast sandwiches were rejected upon delivery because they were measured in at 12ยฐ, which was 2ยฐ above the maximum threshold that the retailer will accept. Thankfully, the trucker was aware of our organization + rerouted the frozen breakfast sandwiches to NOVA-FR for distribution.
โข ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐๐ + ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ?
>> When I came into my role as Executive Director, I learned that we were already members. Initially, my schedule did not permit me to attend meetings. After some changes, I was able to get out + network. Being a Virginia Beach native, getting to know my new community has been instrumental with building lifelong connections.
โข ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ?
>> Although our primary focus is food rescues, we have an initiative that is very near + dear to us. NOVA-FR has a โSidekickโ bag program in which we partner with schools across the county to ensure that students receive discreet bags of food that will assist their families nights, weekends + extended breaks. Our next focus is to pilot food pantries in the schools as well.
โข ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง?
>> I have my motorcycle license! ๐๏ธ
