5 QUESTIONS FOR MADHU MINNA, SITE DIRECTOR OF FOOD RESCUE US – NASSAU CO.
MEET THE COMPASSIONATE POWERHOUSE ON LONG ISLAND
She’s always had a heart for helping others, volunteering with food programs for years before stepping up to lead food recovery efforts in her own Long Island community. Since taking on the role of Site Director in 2021, Madhu’s been building partnerships, growing the program, and making sure good food gets to the people who need it most.
In this Site Director Profile, she talks about what drives her, how she juggles food rescues with a full-time job, and why she believes anyone can make a difference.
Q: How did you get started with Food Rescue US?
Madhu: I’ve always worked in organizations that are related to food. I volunteered with Meals on Wheels, I’ve delivered food to seniors, and I’ve worked in walk-in distribution sites that supply food to the community. But I wanted to take it another step further. I was looking for an organization that I could help grow and not just be a volunteer.
When I found Food Rescue US, the then-site director had started the site in Nassau County. So when I reached out to her, she was happy for the help, and we started working together. We did a lot of work building relationships with food donors and receiving agencies, getting the word out about Food Rescue US. I took over for her as site director in July of 2021 and have been running the operations since.
Q: Tell us about your Nassau County site.
Madhu: So, in Nassau County, there is definitely a lot of wealth, but there is also a lot of need in the community. At our site, we support a wide network of partners including homeless shelters, churches, community fridges, social service agencies, and organizations that prepare meals for veterans. We also work with walk-in food distribution centers, community kitchens, and church programs that provide meals for children. Additionally, we help assemble care bags for cancer patients and coordinate home deliveries for seniors who can’t easily access food on their own.
A really special part of our work is partnering with volunteers from local day habilitation programs. These volunteers bring so much energy and joy to the work — they love being part of the mission, and we love having them. It’s a beautiful example of how inclusive volunteering can be and how everyone has something valuable to contribute.
Each week, we coordinate around 50 to 60 food rescues from a variety of sources — grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, and more. One of the more unique and rewarding parts of our work is rescuing prepared meals from local summer camps during the season. It’s a great example of how every bit of surplus food can be redirected to serve someone in need.
Q: Where does your motivation to volunteer come from?
Madhu: I think it came from growing up in India. It is a cultural thing, I would say. We grew up in a community helping each other all the time, and that kind of got instilled in me. I have always asked this question of myself: How can I help? And if there is a way I can help, I’ve always said, I’ll do it. What can I do to help? And that’s always in me. I don’t think it’s ever going away.
Every single person can make a difference. Are you making a difference to a community, or are you making a difference in another person’s life? There is never a situation where you cannot make a difference in another person’s life.
Q: What does your typical week look like?
Madhu: I work full-time, and this is something I do on the side, but managing food rescues is easy to do in the app. Typically, on Sundays, I check the app to see if there’s a particular day without enough volunteers to pick up rescues. So what I normally do is reach out to some of the “emergency volunteers” we have. Those are my top few rescuers whom I know I can call on.
If nobody else is available, I’m the backup, and I shuffle my day and meetings around so that we can make sure that the full rescue is completed. It really helps that my work schedule is flexible.
Q: What is your biggest challenge?
Madhu: My biggest challenge as site director is finding those “emergency volunteers” we were just talking about. People who are willing to pick up last-minute rescues, or some that involve driving a longer distance, because we cover a large area.
If you’re like me and you don’t mind spending time in the car, listening to the radio or a podcast while you rescue food, I would love to hear from you!