Causes

Human services Community & economic development

Posted by

Alex B.

VISTA / Assistant Director

Our mission

To distribute unavoidable food surplus, sharing with the food insecure of Wichita.

What we do

ICT Food Rescue is a 501c3 organization that exists to distribute unavoidable food surplus, sharing with the food insecure of Wichita. This organization is an affiliate of Food Rescue US (Community Plate), a surplus-reduction organization which coordinates 1,200 donors and 881 receiving partners in 22 metropolitan areas across the United States[1]. Food Rescue US coordinated delivery of more than 33 million meals between 2011 and 2019.

ICT Food Rescue increases access to healthy foods by supporting non-profit organizations who serve the food insecure of Wichita, Kansas. This service is primarily picking up surplus food from retailers, restaurants, and individuals. ICT Food Rescue coordinates food "runners" who transport donated surplus to receiving non-profits. Once their quality is assured, these surplus food items are distributed to receivers who use them to supplement existing nutritional support and outreach. Items transported through this typically travel less than 7 miles between the donor and receiving non-profit.

By supporting existing non-profits with surplus food ICT Food Rescue provides an organizationally and environmentally sustainable solution to food insecurity. In 2019 ICT Food Rescue rescued over 242,285 meals, valued at approximately $503,935 with no cost to receiving non-profits or donors.

As a result of this collaboration many receiving non-profits are able to increase the capacity and quality of their services. For example It Takes a Village Inc., a receiving non-profit which houses and serves at-risk youth, was able to reduce their food budget by 71% due to the donations they received through the ICT Food Network System. As a result, they were able to redirect funding to open an additional Transitional Living Home and bring more youth into the program. Additional receiving non-profits who run food pantries use rescued surplus to add fresh, healthy options to the pantry staples they provide. Although this impact is far from reaching all 70,300 food insecure individuals living in Sedgwick County , every partnership brings us closer to building a food secure economy.