RICHMOND, Va. -- The Richmond-based group Lettuce Reduce Food Waste gathers and gives away food each week to help people and the planet.
Every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. volunteers meet at Forest Hill Park Triangle Park in Richmond to set up food donated by various restaurants and companies in the area, giving it all away for free.
"If it weren't for giveaways like this, all this food would be thrown away," said Rivka Swenson. "We never want anyone going away empty-handed."
Swenson started the group just over a year ago after working with another organization and saw that there was an opportunity to help her community and reduce food waste
"You don't need to show an ID, or how much money you make," Swenson said. "Everyone needs food. Let’s keep it out of the landfill."
According to the FDA, 30-40% of food produced is lost or wasted throughout the farm-to-consumer supply chain. Swenson wants to help lower that number while helping others in her community.
From veggies to desserts, each week is different and packed with a diverse selection.
"Sometimes we have a lot of French cheeses, sometimes we have lots of meat, sometimes we don’t have any. Often, we have a lot of good vegan products," Swenson said. "We always have lots of breads, we always have lots of sweets, we always have produce."
Swenson said she’s excited to see the group continue to grow in size, food selection and impact.
"To me, it’s really just participating in community is being a part of the community, " she said. "Everybody is participating in helping to reduce food waste.
You can contact Swenson through their Facebook page to donate or volunteer.
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