Food rescue · Philadelphia
Good food belongs on tables, not in dumpsters.
Every morning our drivers collect surplus from grocers, farms and restaurant kitchens across the city. By evening it is on a neighbour's table. No waste, no red tape, no shame.
- $1 rescues 3 meals
- Food delivered within 24 hours
- 89 cents of every dollar goes to programs
Last year, in pounds and people
- of food rescued from landfill
- 1.6M lbs
- of food rescued from landfill
- meals shared across the city
- 1.3M
- meals shared across the city
- partner pantries, schools and shelters
- 112
- partner pantries, schools and shelters
- volunteers who gave a shift
- 3,400
- volunteers who gave a shift
Why rescue works
The food already exists. We move it.
Around a third of the food grown in the US is never eaten. Rescue is the fastest, cheapest way to feed people well.
Fresh first
Seventy percent of what we move is produce, dairy, bread and protein. The good stuff, not dented cans.
Same-day delivery
Refrigerated vans pick up at dawn and drop off by afternoon, so nothing sits in a warehouse for weeks.
Choice, not handouts
Our Neighbour Markets let families shop for what they actually cook. Dignity is part of the meal.
Better for the planet
Every pound we rescue is a pound that never rots in a landfill and turns into methane.
640
families shop each week
Neighbour Markets
A market where nobody pays at the register
Twice a week, church halls and rec centres in Kensington, Hunting Park and Grays Ferry become free farmers markets. Families pick their own greens, eggs and bread, chat with the volunteers and come back next week.
- No ID, income forms or appointments
- Recipes and cooking demos from local chefs
- Culturally familiar food, chosen with each neighbourhood
- Spanish, Vietnamese and Haitian Creole speakers on site
How food moves
From a grocer's back dock to dinner in a day
- 1
6:00 — Pickup
Drivers collect surplus from 70 grocers, farms and kitchens on fixed routes, with temperature logs on every load.
- 2
9:00 — Sort and check
Volunteers at our Norwood Yards warehouse inspect, sort and repack everything by hand.
- 3
12:00 — Route out
Food goes to the pantries, schools and markets that asked for exactly that, not whatever is left.
- 4
17:00 — On the table
Families pick up in their own neighbourhood, usually within walking distance of home.
Before Open Harvest we gave out boxes of pasta and canned corn. Now my seniors take home collards, peaches and fresh chicken. People cry a little at the table some weeks. So do I.
From the warehouse floor
Stories and practical guides
What we are learning about food, waste and feeding a city well.
Food rescueSep 22, 2026 · 4 min read
Why perfectly good food gets thrown away
It is rarely about safety. Here is what actually sends edible food to the dumpster, and what we do about it every morning.
GuidesAug 30, 2026 · 5 min read
How to run a food drive pantries actually want
Canned green beans are fine. But a little planning turns your office or school drive into something that feeds families far better.
At homeAug 4, 2026 · 4 min read
Seven habits that cut food waste at home
The average American household throws away hundreds of dollars of food a year. A few small habits from our warehouse crew can change that.
$25 a month rescues 75 meals.
Join 2,100 monthly givers who keep our vans on the road every single morning. Cancel any time.