March Madness: The Power of Teamwork
Dear Friends,
The March Madness basketball tournament represents the culmination of months of precision training, coordinated teamwork, and unwavering commitment for college athletes. This powerful synergy reminds me distinctly of Food Rescue US.
While rescuing food doesn’t require the remarkable athleticism of college athletes, our success depends on the same core principles: precision, teamwork, and dedication. Every rescue is a collaboration – made possible by Site Directors, food donors, food rescuers, and receiving agencies, working together toward shared goals. Our award-winning Food Rescue US app facilitates the teamwork of these critical players.
Thanks to this collective commitment, Food Rescue US is now the largest direct-delivery food rescue organization in the country. Three new flag site locations have launched this year with the successful completion of our 90-day Onboarding Program: Prince George’s County, MD; New Haven, CT; and New Orleans, LA. We are now proudly operating in 51 locations across 25 states and Washington, DC.
Food Rescue US is a win-win organization. We provide nourishing food to people facing food insecurity, while also reducing harmful greenhouse gases by keeping perfectly good food out of landfills. This dual mission has a critical impact on both hunger and our planet.
As legendary Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski once said, “I get a group of people who are talented to commit to excellence and to work together as one. That’s where it starts. Different talents, same commitment.”
If you haven’t completed your first rescue, getting started is easy, and the rescue experience offers immediate impact and incredible reward. We hope you’ll join our winning team.
We are deeply grateful for the dedication of our incredible team of Site Directors, food donors, food rescuers, and partner agencies. Thank you for being part of this important work.
With gratitude,
Sharon Enright
CEO
Food Rescue US
Community Updates
Ellen Bowen is receiving our Visionary Award for her extraordinary innovation and leadership in expanding community programming as the South Florida Site Director at Food Rescue US. Using the Food Rescue US app, volunteer food rescuers pick up nutritious food from grocers like Trader Joes, restaurants, hotels, bakeries, and large venues like Hard Rock Stadium. Ellen and her team have completed large-scale rescues during Super Bowl LIV, Formula 1, FIFA, Miami Marathon, LIV Golf Tournament, and other events.
Ellen will be honored as part of our Celebrate Food Rescue US gala, which will mark 15 years of progress toward eliminating hunger while protecting our planet. The gala takes place on May 6, 2026 in Stamford, CT.
Please join us for an unforgettable evening with others who share a passion for rescuing food and strengthening communities.
If you cannot join us in person, you can still participate in the online auction. We appreciate all of our supporters across 51 locations in 25 states and Washington, DC!
We want to thank Kitty Brown for her outstanding dedication to eliminating hunger in her community by volunteering with Food Rescue US. Brown has supported her community in a variety of ways, including rescuing surplus food as a reliable food rescuer in Fairfield County, donating the services of her company, Simply Creative Catering, to benefit the Food Rescue US gala, and running the New York City Marathon for Food Rescue US in 2023. Her unwavering commitment to those in need inspires us all.
Brown shared, “Never have I been more fulfilled and humbled by rescuing food and taking it directly to those in need. The pride and gratitude I feel when I know I have the power to not only help reduce food waste for our landfills, but more importantly, put food in the hands of those who need it most. The human connection, the direct contact with the people we are helping and knowing that what I am doing is making a huge impact is hard to describe!”
Thank you to Kitty for all that you do to eliminate hunger and protect our planet!
Please congratulate Victoria Zapata and Sandy Steigbigel on the evolution of their important roles:
Victoria Zapata has been promoted to the newly created position of Senior Program Manager, Sites and Food Donor Relations, recognizing the importance of her work with national food donors and site management. In this role, Victoria will continue to expand and strengthen relationships with national food donors, bringing more excess food into our programs and supporting sites in delivering it effectively.
Sandy Steigbigel is assuming the new title of Vice President of Programming, which more accurately reflects the breadth and significance of the team’s work. Sandy’s leadership ensures stability across existing sites while guiding the development of new sites and relationships.
The Food Rescue US app continues to provide innovative solutions that help us rescue food most efficiently. The Product Team, led by Joe Robbins, Chief Product Officer of Food Rescue US, collaborated with Dr. Stanley Lim of Michigan State University to develop a pilot program that leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) responsibly to rescue food more effectively. This technology allows Food Rescue US to better predict when scheduling conflicts may arise for rescuers, which can occur for a variety of reasons, and facilitates more timely collaboration within the Food Rescue US community. We are excited to share more innovative updates to the app that the Product Team is working on in upcoming newsletters!
As part of the Food Rescue US 90-day Onboarding Program, all Site Directors are required to complete ServSafe certification, ensuring that they are equipped with nationally recognized food safety training. We are proud to share that all current Site Directors across the network are ServSafe certified.
The ServSafe certification underscores our commitment to food safety, responsible food handling, and the trust our food donors and community partners place in Food Rescue US. Karen Saggese, Lead Site Director of Fairfield County, shared:
I explained to their Executive Director and Director of Operations that we take food safety very seriously. I laid out our policies that pertain to food donors and volunteers with regard to food safety, as well as our stringent rules regarding what can be donated. I then added that all of our Site Directors are certified ServSafe Food Safety Managers and their faces lit up! They said “Oh wow that is fantastic!”