‘Waste Hunger Not Food’ helps people struggling with hunger

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Kern Community Wellness states there are at minimum 116,000 men and women in Kern County that do not know wherever their subsequent food is coming from, and when you split that down even more it signifies 1 in 4 little ones go to mattress hungry.

The ‘Waste Starvation Not Food’ Program isn’t really new it was initially launched back again in 2018. The plan rescues surplus, edible food items from neighborhood restaurants, schools, and marketplaces that may otherwise have been squandered, and distributes it to all those in have to have.

Now as inflation is impacting many individuals in the neighborhood, there is means in Kern County readily available for them.

“We knew there was a starvation dilemma, we knew there was a squander problem, so we brought the two jointly and we fashioned ‘Waste Hunger Not Food’ and the relaxation is heritage,” stated Michelle Corson, General public Relations Officer for Kern County General public Overall health Division.

The program largely rescues meals from nearby faculties, where there is a lot of squander that happens.

Corson states milk, or pre-packaged food items that have not been touched, are put in a exclusive bin for choose up.

“The little ones in the colleges, they know about the ‘Waste Starvation Not Food’ plan. They have been deemed our meals rescuers, so they’ve been educated about all of this. They know they are producing a change and quite often it’s their personal pals and relatives that will be acquiring this really foodstuff.”

The application also will work with dozens of churches during Kern County to provide as distribution internet sites. Corson mentioned that they required to make guaranteed that the process of accessing this meals was created as effortless as attainable for people in need.

“We distribute it primarily through churches in our community so that this is an simply accessible put for our people to go to their church in their community to accessibility this free of charge nutritious food. I’ve viewed family members, and mothers especially, crying that they’re able to obtain this type of foods to deliver to their little ones that otherwise they wouldn’t be in a position to manage. It is very touching, it is really highly effective,” said Corson.

In order to hold observe of the program’s development, the total of foodstuff that their drivers decide up from the local donors is weighed on a daily basis.

This facts is up to date frequently on their site to observe accurately how a great deal foods they’ve rescued. As of Wednesday, that volume has arrived at above 1,600,000 kilos. Corson tells 23ABC it is safe and sound to say, they’ve appear a lengthy way.

“We want to get again to whole operations as we ended up before the pandemic. We are thrilled that all of our companions have appear close to us and we have only just begun. We seriously want to assist lower waste and feed all those that are hungry in our neighborhood.”