Retiring Food Service Director Rescued A Quarter Of A Million Food Items In Her District

It is often said, "actions speak louder than words." Today we want to celebrate the actions of an incredible K-12 Food Rescue partner who is retiring as the director of nutrition of Anderson Community Schools in Indiana.

In 2015, Donna Curtis established a K-12 Food Rescue program in several schools in Anderson, IN.  The results of her efforts can be seen on K-12 Food Rescue's Impact Dashboard image below sponsored by the Kroger Zero Hunger Zero Waste Foundation.  If she had not taken action in 2015, over 265,000 food items would have been fed to landfills rather than families in need in her community.  

In Robert Frost's famous poem, The Road Not Taken, the final stanza reads, 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- 
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

In 2015, most thought school share tables and/or food donations/rescues were not allowed in our national school  lunch program.  However, Donna examined the new guidelines and facts regarding the law and the Richard Russel National School Lunch Act found on our website, and she chose the road less traveled by developing a K-12 Food Rescue program in Anderson. 

The "difference" Donna made by choosing the road less traveled is far greater than the hunger relief  and environmental impact provided by the rescued 265,000 food items, as many saw her impact and were inspired to follow her lead.

Thanks Donna for leaving an incredible legacy of leadership and impact for others to follow.  If you are a food service director, cafeteria manager, student, parent, teacher, school board member, or school administrator, Ihope you are inspired by Donna's story and will join her as a leader in the #FoodIsNotTrash movement. Send us an email at [email protected] , and we will help you get started on the road to rescuing food in your school!

John Williamson
Food Rescue Executive Director
[email protected]