Pike Township School Sets Food Collection Record

Last week I had the opportunity to represent Food Rescue in the Go Green Earth Day event at New Augusta South School in Pike Township. Pike just launched a Food Rescue program April 11th, and New Augusta was the pilot school. When I got there to set up, I found a display waiting for me put together by Ms. Wallace’s 5th grade students. New Augusta was not only participating, they were fully engaged in the program!
​The exhibit displayed food waste facts as well as pictures of the kids hard at work. The most shocking item on the board was the number of items collected. One school, one week 2,636 items! I couldn’t believe my eyes! That's a Food Rescue record. So now, all of those cartons of milk, yogurt, string cheese and cereal bars to name a few are nourishing people facing food insecurity instead of feeding a landfill. 

This all came about because of the passion and persistence of teacher Kristie Wallace and her students who are already learning food is not trash. They are backed by a food service team who made sure this program was established and a principal and assistant principal who not only support Food Rescue but have asked what more they can do. 

The class has agreed to write a guest blog so you can hear from them first hand but in the meantime, I invite you to look at what they have accomplished in just one week and ask yourself what is your school or your child’s school doing? What is happening to the food that is unopened and unwanted? Is it helping others or is it hurting our environment? I applaud the efforts going on at New Augusta and the student leaders who are emerging in the process and I can’t wait to see where their Food Rescue program goes from here!! 

All my best,

​Jennifer Brilliant 
Lead Program Director
Food Rescue
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