FRN was born when several University of Maryland students noticed that campus dining halls were wasting nutritious food while community members were going hungry. It has since grown into one of the country’s largest student-led movements fighting food waste and hunger, mobilizing participants on 200 college campuses to recover surplus food at universities, businesses, and large events. The surplus is donated to local nonprofits FOOD providers and simultaneously ensures that food waste is diverted from landfills (a sizable contributor to greenhouse gas emissions). To date, FRN has recovered more than 16.3 million pounds of food, donated 13.6 million meals, and prevented 19,900 metric tons of emissions. By working with existing infrastructure at institutions, FRN’s community-led model builds invaluable awareness of sustainable practices and transforms our food supply chain one area at a time.
Headquarters: MD-Prince George's County
Where They Operate: Internationally; ; United States of America
Age Groups Served: All
Population(s) Served: All
Schools They Work In: Allegheny College; Alma College; Aquinas College; Assumption College; Bard College; Becker College; Bellarmine University; Belmont Abbey; Beloit College; Boise State University; Bowling Green State University; Brandeis University; Broward College ; Brown University; Butler University ; California State University Fresno; California State University Northridge; Calvin College; Carleton College; Case Western Reserve University; Christian Brothers University; Claremont McKenna; Clemson University; Coastal Carolina University; Colby College; Colby Sawyer; College of the Holy Cross; College of William and Mary; Colorado Mountain College; Cornell College (IA); Cornell University (NY); Cornerstone University; Dartmouth College; Denison University; Drake University; Drexel University; Duke; Earlham College; Eastern Michigan University; Eckerd College; Elmhurst College; Fairfield University; Florida International University; Florida State University; Fordham University Rose Hill; Framingham State University; George Washington University; Georgia State University; Gordon College; Goucher College; Green Mountain College; Grinnell College; High Point University; Illinois State University; Iowa State University; Kalamazoo College; Kansas State University; Knox College; Lawrence University; Lehigh University; Lipscomb University; Louisiana State University; Loyola Marymount ; Lycoming College; Macalester College; Madonna University; Marist College; Maryville College; Mercyhurst University; Millersville U of PA; Missouri State University; Monmouth University; New Mexico State University; The New School; New York University; Nichols College; North Carolina State University; Northern Arizona University; Northern Illinois University; Northwood University; Occidental College; Ohio Wesleyan University; Olin College of Engineering; Orange Coast College; Parkland Community College; Pasadena City College; PennState Erie the Behrend College; PennState University Park; Pfeiffer University; Pitzer College; Plymouth State University; Point Loma Nazarene University; Pomona College; Portland Community College; Providence College; Rhodes College; Rochester Institute of Technology; Roger Williams University; Rowan; Russell Sage College; San Diego State University; Saint Anselm; Saint Joseph's University; Saint Mary's College -- Indiana; Salem College; Santa Clara University; Seattle Pacific University; Shippensburg University; Smith College; Southern Connecticut State University; Southeast Missouri State University; Southern Maine Community College; Southern Nazarene University; St. John's College; St. Mary's College of Maryland; St. Olaf; Stephen F. Austin; SUNY Binghamton; SUNY U at Buffalo; SUNY Plattsburgh; Susquehanna University; Syracuse U / SUNY ESF; Texas A&M; Texas State University; Towson University; Trinity College; Tulane University; University of Bridgeport; University of California-Davis; University of California- Los Angeles; University of California-San Diego; University of California-Santa Cruz; University of Central Arkansas; University of Central Oklahoma; University of Dayton; University of Delaware; University of Denver; University of Hawaii Manoa; University of Houston; University of Illinois - Chicago; University of Indianapolis; University of Iowa; University of Maine; University of Maine at Farmington; University of Mary Washington; University of Maryland - Baltimore County; University of Maryland, College Park; University of Massachusetts - Amherst; University of Miami; University of Michigan--Ann Arbor; University of Michigan - Dearborn; University of Michigan - Flint; University of Minnesota - Twin Cities; University of Mississippi; University of Missouri; University of New England; University of New Mexico; University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; University of North Carolina Greensboro; University of North Carolina Pembroke; University of the Pacific; University of Pennsylvania; University of Pittsburgh; University of Richmond; University of Rhode Island; University of Rochester; University of St. Thomas; University of San Francisco; University of the Sciences; University of South Alabama; University of South Carolina Columbia; University of South Carolina Upstate; University of Southern California; University of Tennessee Knoxville; University of Texas- Austin ; University of Texas at Dallas; University of Toledo; University of Utah; University of Washington; University of Wisconsin Madison; Utah State University; Valley Forge Military; Villanova University; Virginia Commonwealth University; Wagner College; Washington & Jefferson College; Washington State University Pullman; Wayne State University; Weber State; Western Washington University; West Hills College Lemoore; West Virginia University; Whittier College; Willamette University; Wichita State University; Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Number of hours of volunteer work we record annually:
28000 - Number of hunger-fighting partner agencies we donate food:
340
Awards & Recognition
Featured Org, Good Food Org Guide 2015
Featured Org, Good Food Org Guide 2016
Press
- How to reduce campus food waste
Tue Sep 20 2016, University Business
University Business wrote a piece featuring Food Recovery Network's work on college campuses. Our E.D. Regina Northouse was quoted.
- Leftover Meal Plan Swipes: No Waste Here
Fri Aug 5 2016, The New York Times
Food Recovery Network was mentioned in NYT's feature on campus food waste.
- This Simple Change Could End College Food Waste And Feed The Hungry
Wed Apr 20 2016, The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post featured Food Recovery Network in this piece, including a special spotlight on our University of Hawaii chapter.
- Ten Questions with Regina Northouse, Executive Director of the Food Recovery Network
Fri Apr 15 2016, Food Tank
Food Tank interviews our Executive Director, Regina Northouse.
Budget (FY2023)
- $3 million or higher
- The current budget for Food Recovery Network is: $1 million to $3 million
- $500k to $1 million
- Less than $500k
Catalogue charities range in size from $100,000 to
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