America faces an extremely serious problem. In a nation of abundance, why are 1 in 6 Americans (some suggest 1 in 5) food insecure (lacking access to securing food daily) according to Dana Gunder’s August 2012 NRDC report. The answer is complex, however the statistics are staggering. Nearly 40 percent of the food in America goes uneaten. This equates to $165 billion per year. Additionally, this excess food rots in landfills accounting for the largest component of solid municipal waste, and creating a large amount of methane emissions.

According to the report, if we could reduce the waste by 15 percent, we would be able to feed an additional 25 million people. Currently our country rescues about 10 percent of the wasted food. This is an alarming statistic, however it is also one of hope. There is a lot of opportunity to put a massive dent into this awful problem. Many sources of food (restaurants, caterers, etc.) are unaware of the Bill Emerson Food Donation Act of 1996 which protects donors from food-safety liability when they donate their food to a nonprofit organization. This addresses fears that food sources have about laws around food donation, however most sources of food are unaware of this legislation.

Meet Fiorenza’s Food For Friends (F4), a nonprofit corporation based in Chester County, whose goal is to “create hunger awareness through education, inspire others to take action through engagement, and provide an avenue to eradicate the problem. F4 serves as a facilitator between sources of food and agencies that provide food to those in need (shelters, pantries, cupboards, food banks, etc.).