ORANGE PARK, Fla. — For 35 years, Waste Not Want Not has been rescuing food and feeding the Northeast Florida community.
It all began when founder, Debra Smyers, witnessed a restaurant at the Orange Park Mall throwing away a lot of food. Smyers decided to take action and began finding ways to save food and give it to people in need.
“Our tagline is connecting the dots between surplus food and hungry people and that’s really what she did, she connected the dots,” said Executive Director of Waste Not Want Not, Kathleen Spears.
Today, Waste Not Want Not collects food from local grocery stores, restaurants, farmers and caterers. From their distribution center in Orange Park, they serve 14 counties across Northeast Florida.
“It’s so important right now especially that we elevate our food rescue efforts not just because of the environment needs but more importantly the food needs. The food insecurity rate all across our 14 counties is increasing; we want to see it go the opposite direction,” said Spears.
Partnering with over 100 nonprofits including churches, food banks, and community organizations, they help ensure food reaches those who need it the most.
With the help of over 200 volunteers, the organization rescues and sorts food daily and over 2 million pounds a year.
Spears says they will continue to feed the community until no one is left hungry.
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