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. 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.

How Nourishing Our Neighborhoods makes a difference:

  • 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

Recipient organizations:

To nourish people and the planet, and in response to significant food insecurity needs in communities, all Whole Foods Market operational areas participate in the Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program. Through this program, we continue to grow our relationship with food-rescue organizations across the U.S. and Canada, which supports our pledge to cut our food waste in half by 2030 as part of the Amazon Sustainability Action Plan.

All participating organizations currently participate in Whole Foods Market’s Grocery Rescue Program — picking up food from stores weekly and redistributing it to feed neighbors fresh, high-quality food as quickly as possible.

If your organization is interested in participating in the Whole Foods Market Grocery Rescue Program, please contact our friends at Food Donation Connection. Learn more about Whole Foods Market’s commitment to fighting food waste HERE.

Organizations already participating in Whole Foods Market’s Grocery Rescue Program that are interested in the Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program can apply for consideration HERE.

Nourishing Our Neighborhoods Partnering Organizations & Years of Collaboration:

412 Food Rescue – Pittsburgh, PA Collaborating since 2017
Aloha Harvest – Oahu, HI Collaborating since 2005
The Bowery Mission – New York, NY Collaborating since 2009
Care for Real – Chicago, IL Collaborating since 2010
Celestial Manna – Greater Washington, D.C. Collaborating since 2017
Ceres Community Project- Marin and Sonoma counties, CA Collaborating since 2021
City Harvest – New York, NY Collaborating since 2001
CityTeam – San Francisco, CA Collaborating since 2020
Following Francis dba. Following Francis on the Hill – Washington, D.C. Collaborating since 2023
Food Finders – Greater Los Angeles, CA Collaborating since 2009
ExtraFood – San Francisco, CA Collaborating since 2000
Food Shift – Oakland, CA Collaborating since 2021
Food Stash Foundation – Vancouver, BC Collaborating since 2017
Forgotten Harvest – Metro Detroit, MI Collaborating since 2004
Gifts of Love – Hartford, CT Collaborating since 2021
Good Neighbors  – Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL Collaborating since 2023
The Green Apple Pantry – Grand Rapids, MI Collaborating since 2022
Harmony House – Houston, TX Collaborating since 2018
Human Resource Development Council of District IX Inc – Bozeman, MT Collaborating since 2022
Keep Austin Fed – Austin, TX Collaborating since 2005
Spoonfuls. – Boston, MA Collaborating since 2013
Manna on Main Street – Montgomery County, PA Collaborating since 2008
Martha’s Kitchen – San Jose, CA Collaborating since 2019
Miami Rescue Mission – Miami, FL Collaborating since 2004
Minnie’s Food Pantry – Plano, TX Collaborating since 2013
North St. Paul Area Food Shelf – St. Paul, MN Collaborating since 2020
Northern Virginia Food Rescue – Northern Virginia, VA Collaborating since 2021
nourish.NJ  – Morristown, NJ Collaborating since 2018
Nourishing Hope – Chicago, IL Collaborating since 2016
NourishKC – Kansas City, MO Collaborating since 2017
Open Door Mission – Rochester, NY Collaborating since 2023
OSL (OPERATION: Sack Lunch) – Seattle, WA Collaborating since 2013
Paradise Valley Community Food Bank – Phoenix, AZ Collaborating since 2017
Portland Rescue Mission – Portland, OR Collaborating since 2010
Rethink Food – New York, NY Collaborating since 2021
The River Food Pantry – Madison, WI Collaborating since 2019
RoadRunner Food Bank – Albuquerque, NM Collaborating since 2017
Second Helpings Atlanta – Atlanta, GA Collaborating since 2004
South Shore Food Bank – Boston, MA Collaborating since 2022
Table to Table – Northern NJ Collaborating since 1999
The Action Center – Lakewood, CO Collaborating since 2002
University District Food Bank – Seattle, WA Collaborating since 2005
Venice Family Clinic – Venice, CA Collaborating since 2021
White Pony Express – Greater San Francisco Bay Area, CA Collaborating since 2016

 

Nourishing Our Neighborhoods Program Expansion

Since the program inception in 2020, the Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program has expanded to now include Nourishing Our Neighborhoods mobile pantry events. These free events are farmers market-style events held in partnership with nonprofit food-rescue organizations participating in Whole Foods Market’s Grocery Rescue Program. Each event provides pantry staples and fresh produce for over 700 families facing food insecurity.

2023 mobile pantry partner recipients received a Nourishing Our Neighborhoods van in 2024. Watch the video about the program HERE.

Partners & Locations

Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland Cleveland, OH
Palm Beach Harvest Palm Beach, FL
Second Servings of Houston Houston, TX
Food For Free Cambridge, MA
FoodCycle LA Los Angeles, CA
Share Food Program Philadelphia, PA