Formation 1990 (1990) Region served Metro Detroit Affiliations Feeding America Founded 1990 Budget 77.22 million USD Staff 71 | Type Non-profit CEO Kirk Mayes Volunteers 14,700 Headquarters Oak Park Main organ Board of directors | |
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Motto Driving Hunger From Our Community Similar Gleaners, Focus: HOPE, Feeding America, Michigan Humane Society, Cass Community Social Se | ||
Forgotten harvest
Forgotten Harvest is a non-profit food rescue organization that collects food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it free of charge to organizations feeding the hungry in Metro Detroit. In 2015, the nonprofit distributed more than 40 million pounds of food to more than 260 emergency food providers.
Contents
- Forgotten harvest
- Liberty family outreach forgotten harvest mobile food pantry
- Founder and history
- Operations
- Forgotten Harvest Canada
- Forgotten Harvest Farms
- Awards and recognition
- References
Forgotten Harvest is a member of Feeding America, the United States' umbrella organization for food banks and food rescue agencies.
Liberty family outreach forgotten harvest mobile food pantry
Founder and history
Forgotten Harvest was founded in 1990 by Nancy Fishman. Susan Goodell became the organization's CEO in 2000, and under her leadership the amount of food delivered increased significantly:
Forgotten Harvest was the first food rescue organization in the United States to form a rescue partnership with a grocery store, launching a program with Kroger in 1994.
Operations
Forgotten Harvest operates a fleet of 33 refrigerated trucks that pick up surplus or unwanted food at health department-approved sources such as grocery stores, restaurants, stadiums, banquet facilities and other venues. It also works with local farmers to mobilize volunteers to harvest unwanted crops in their fields.
Some major retailers and venues from which Forgotten Harvest collects food in Metro Detroit include Kroger, Costco, Meijer and Walmart stores, the Palace of Auburn Hills, Joe Louis Arena, Comerica Park and The Henry Ford.
Volunteers sort and repackage food at Forgotten Harvest's distribution center and trucks deliver the food free of charge to area nonprofit agencies that provide emergency food assistance in Metro Detroit.
Forgotten Harvest Canada
In 2011, Forgotten Harvest created Forgotten Harvest Canada[1], a Windsor, Ontario-based food rescue agency based on Forgotten Harvest's model. In its first fiscal year it delivered 135,000 pounds of food and in 2013, the organization announced that it had reached a milestone of delivering one million pounds of food since its founding.
Forgotten Harvest Farms
In the spring of 2013, Forgotten Harvest launched a farming initiative, "Forgotten Harvest Farms," where it began growing its own food on donated farmland. In October 2013, they announced an estimated 850,000 pound harvest in their first year, and the donation of $400,000 in farm equipment from Ram Truck, Case IH and New Holland Agriculture to support future growth in farm operations.
Over the course of its first three years of operations, Forgotten Harvest Farms reported harvesting more than 3.1 million pounds of produce.