Boston Area Gleaners, Food Rescue US, Forager, and SeaShare Are First to Receive Grants

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely disrupted the food supply chain, resulting in a surge of on-farm food loss, food business closures, and a growing number of food insecure individuals. In response to these new challenges – and on the heels of our COVID-19 U.S. Food System Review – ReFED has launched a COVID-19 Food Waste Solutions Fund to quickly deliver vital funding to organizations that can rapidly scale food waste reduction and hunger relief efforts. (Click here for more details and to apply for funding or donate.)

“COVID-19 has disrupted the regular flow of the food supply chain, making it difficult to get fresh, healthy food to the people who need it most and increasing the amount of food insecurity,” said Alexandria Coari, Capital and Innovation Director at ReFED. “The ReFED COVID-19 Food Waste Solutions Fund is helping to get critical support to for-profit and nonprofit organizations working on the front lines to rescue food that might otherwise go to waste during the pandemic. We’re grateful for the support of everyone who has made a contribution or applied for funding.”

ReFED anticipates making a minimum of $1 million of grants over the next 30 days to a portfolio of organizations that will – in the next 90 days – drive impact of more than a total of 10 million pounds of food waste prevented or 8.3 million meals rescued. We will continue raising up to $10 million of donations that will be quickly regranted to organizations in a position to make a major impact over the next few months. 

An average of $50,000 in non-recoverable grants will be provided to each awardee. We are proud to announce that the first four organizations to receive grants are: Boston Area Gleaners, Food Rescue US, Forager, and SeaShare.

100 percent of what is donated will go directly to well-vetted food waste solution providers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. We are grateful to those who have already donated, including the following Major Gift Contributors: Ajana Foundation, Atticus Trust, Betsy & Jesse Fink, Caerus Foundation, Inc., Fink Family Foundation, Jackie & Orion Hindawi, June & Paul Rossetti, The JPB Foundation, and The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation.

We are also thankful for our collaborating partners: Food Tank, GreenBiz, and IDEO.

CLICK HERE for more details and TO APPLY FOR FUNDING OR donate.