Frequently Asked Questions
Food justice begins with education - thank you for taking the time to learn about us!
What is Food Assist?
Food Assist is a group of University of Virginia students who are committed to fighting both food waste and hunger in the Charlottesville community. We recover food that would otherwise go to waste and donate it to those in need. Food Assist is a chapter of the Food Recovery Network, which is the largest national organization working to fight food insecurity.
How does Food Assist operate?
Our primary purpose is to bridge the gap between food waste and food insecurity by tackling both issues simultaneously:
1) FoodAssist contacts organizations that might have leftover food that will go to waste, and we explain our mission.
2) Our volunteers facilitate the process of donating the food by picking it up from their locations and delivering it to organizations feeding those in need, such as local food banks. We also weigh our food donations to track our progress and set future donation goals.
3) We repeat the process and educate the community about food justice along the way!
What is food insecurity?
Food insecurity occurs when people do not have adequate access to food and their basic alimentary needs are not being met. This can be caused by a number of factors, but prevalent causes include poverty, unemployment, and disability. All of these can form barriers to reliable access to food.
Food security exists in levels - those who experience a high level of food security have reliable access to adequate nutrition, while those with a low level of food security (also referred to as food insecurity) frequently face barriers in accessing consistent and adequate sustenance. There are also tiers in between, such as those who sometimes lack adequate nutrition. The food security pyramid below provided by Feeding America explains the 4 main tiers:
What is food waste?
Food waste is any food which is appropriate for human consumption that is discarded. This waste occurs at various levels, from the unharvested produce left in the fields to uneaten food at restaurants. This might occur due to organizations lacking the capacity to process this food or being uninformed on how to donate such food. At Food Assist, we do not only care about actively retrieving food and donating it to people in need, but also educating our community so we can tackle the issue from the roots.
As seen below in the Food Recovery Hierarchy provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the most ideal situation is that food waste is reduced by preventing it from occurring in the first place, via source reduction. Food Assist approaches food waste with the second most desirable option, which is donating food waste that cannot otherwise be prevented.
How can I get involved with Food Assist?
There are a variety of ways that you can join the food justice fight through Food Assist:
If you are a UVA student, sign up for our Listserv to start receiving information about Food Assist meetings
Volunteer with us - sign up for your first pick-up!
Once you go on at least one donation pick-up, you can sign up to lead a future donation run (we call these leaders "car captains")
Tell your friends about Food Assist
Educate yourself on food justice - UVA offers a course entitled “Politics of Food” that provides background in the food equity movement in Charlottesville
Are there other organizations at UVA tackling hunger?
Yes! In the past, Food Assist has collaborated with clubs who share our goals, such as Challah for Hunger, Meals On Wheels and APO. Each of our clubs tackle food justice with a different approach, but each is crucial in the overall fight against food waste and hunger in the Charlottesville area.
These are great resources on Grounds for food justice:
Within the greater Charlottesville community, these organizations are actively fighting for food justice:
When food waste cannot be prevented, compost! Check out these local organizations: