Nourishing Our Neighborhoods

Origins:

Launched in 2020, the Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program aims to expand the capacity and capability for community-based food rescue organizations to move food from where it’s available to where it’s needed most. More information can be found on our website.

Contribution:

Nourishing Our Neighborhoods Partnering Organizations & Years of Collaboration can be found on our website.

Objectives:

Through this program, Whole Foods Market funds the purchase of refrigerated vans for food-recovery organizations so they can transport fresh, healthy food back to their communities — a critical, and oftentimes difficult, step in the food-redistribution process. Now in its fourth year, with 44 vans donated as of the end of 2023, Nourishing Our Neighborhoods represents one of our greatest commitments with a significant, long-term impact.

Impact:

Each vehicle has the capacity to rescue 20,000 pounds of food weekly 1,040,000 pounds of food per vehicle per year can be diverted from landfills 8,666,667 meals can be shared over the van’s 10-year life cycle In 2023, Whole Foods Market also launched Nourishing Our Neighborhoods Mobile Pantry, pop-up farmers-market-style events at local schools. Each event provides fresh produce and pantry staples for 700 families. Whole Foods Market also launched Stuff the Van events for each of our Nourishing Our Neighborhoods food rescue partners. These events were held at Whole Food Market stores, where team members filled each of the vans with a mix of fresh produce and pantry staples. Through these events, Whole Foods Market donated 57,585 pounds of food—enough for 47,988 meals.

Quote:

From Jason Buechel's LinkedIn (CEO at Whole Foods MarketCEO at Whole Foods Market)

Through our Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program, Whole Foods Market supports our communities by donating refrigerated vans that expand an organization’s ability to move food from where it’s available to where it’s needed most. Each donated van has the capacity to rescue food that may otherwise have gone to waste - equating to over 1.2 million meals per year. Last month, I accompanied 15 Whole Foods Market store, facility and office Team Members to volunteer with one of our Nourishing Our Neighborhoods partners CityTeam in Oakland to learn about their mission, prepare meals and serve lunch. CityTeam provides mobile food banks and transitional housing for those facing housing insecurity and addictive behaviors, including counseling and pathways to stable housing. They also offer hot meal service 365 days a year. It was incredibly gratifying to meet residents and hear their stories. I want to thank CityTeam for the work they do to serve and lift their community and for sharing the incredible results with us. I am proud that we can support such a worthwhile organization. #TeamWFM #InTheField

Support Statement:

Watch more about this program on YouTube