My name is Sophia Safrin, and when the share table was first introduced to our school I thought it was a great way to help the planet. I was really interested in finding how to volunteer for it and then at a National Junior Honor Society meeting it was opened to the members of NJHS for service hours. Immediately I signed up and was so excited to take part in the Share Table. Every day I sign up I get there at 8:00 and me and my peers get started. To me this program is an opportunity to help the people in our community out. It has really showed me what I can do in my community to help those in need out. It is an amazing program that has made a lot of meals for people who are in need. I am so glad that I can be a part of something so special.

​Sophia Saphrin
​Student at Pioneer Middle School

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​In Palm Coast, Florida, a group of  innovative students have become leaders amongst their peers, fighting food wastage. The team consisting of eleven eighth graders, is deemed Waste Not, Want Not and is headquartered at Indian Trails Middle School. WNWN is a part of the Future Problem Solving initiative, a worldwide effort to develop and instill critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills in children in over 15 countries. More about this admirable program can be found at www.fpspi.org. These students are charged with identifying an issue ongoing in their community, and this year they rightfully believe that food wastage was an underlying problem that needed to be tended to.

Since the group’s founding in August, WNWN has made great strides in their local area in reducing food waste. To begin with, they revolutionized their school’s share table, where students can donate otherwise wasted food to an area food bank. Secondly, the team has created innovate and informative curriculum, in which was completely endorsed by FLDOE. After a partnership was formed with the government entity, the studies will hopefully reach Florida’s 2.5 million student body. Along with the curriculum, multiple stops at local schools has allowed the group to share informative assemblies on food waste. During the recent government shutdown, the group donated a plethora of food to the furloughed tsa workers at a local airport. WNWN built a homemade float, encouraging our local community to compost and reduce waste, which was featured in multiple Christmas parades. Waste Not, Want Not has created a local business pact, where a dozen entities fully  commit to reducing restaurant waste and donating all otherwise wasted food to our project. Multiple donation sites have been set up throughout our local area, encouraging the public to get involved in the no-waste initiative. To date, we have received approximately $500 in donations from those various locations. Finally, our landmark project was building an on-site greenhouse on Indian Trails’ campus, in which cafeteria waste is converted into valuable compost. The agricultural science teacher enriches her curriculum in the WNWN greenhouse, whilst growing new crops for hungry Flagler families. 

If we wish to defeat food waste, we must rise up together and take action. Join our mission by searching @wnwnflagler on all social media networks to be informed.

We thank you for your time,


Waste Not, Want Not

​Jack Petocz
Cameron Driggers
Samantha Stone
Alysa Vidal
Madeline Sims
Jackson Castaneda
Kevin Wolfe
Lucy Noble 
Hannah Kurek
Grayson Ronk

Sabrina and Valentia Navarra are K-12 Food Rescue leaders at Virginia Young Montessori Elementary in Broward County Florida.  They heard about K-12 Food Rescue through Elaine Fiore, a teacher at Beechside Montessori who has successfully implemented K-12 Food Rescue at her school and is a passionate advocate to see the program spread throughout Broward County and Florida.   More to come on these incredible student leaders making a difference in their school and inspiring others to follow their lead.  

There are always some hurdles to cross when starting a Share Table or K-12 Food Rescue program in your school district.  At no cost, Food Rescue provides one on one sessions or group conference calls to review our online educational resources to all who inquire.  Often teachers, parents, cafeteria managers, or other school administrators are able to leverage their knowledge through geographically specific presentations to inspire those in their district or surrounding counties to adopt K-12 Food Rescue Policies in their buildings.  

Elaine Fiorie is a Sustainabiliy Educator at Beachside Montessori Elementary in Broward County Florida.  Follow her journey and view her presentation that is empowering students to lead the #FoodIsNotTrash movement in Florida.   Hats off to Melanie Mason, food recovery specialist at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer protection for her work as well inspiring schools to get started.  Darlene Moppert, food and nutrition specialist in Broward county, and Beth Spratt, Farm to School advocate in the Florida Department of Agriculture are champions of K-12 Food Rescue noted in the presentation.