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  • Kristie Rath (right) sorts a table of baked goods donated to the local Food Rescue chapter with the help of her children Emma and Isaac and fellow volunteer Amy Harvey (left) at the First Assembly of God Church in Plattsburgh. The chapter is seeking additional volunteers to help sort, package, and distribute food donated to the organization. (P-R Photo/Rachel Moore)

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December 31, 2009

Food Rescue needs help itself

By CASEY RYAN VOCK

PLATTSBURGH — In its second year, the local Food Rescue chapter is growing and looking for additional volunteers to distribute donated food to the needy.

“We rescue food,” said Kristie Rath, president of the Plattsburgh chapter of Food Rescue, a non-profit organization founded in Indianapolis in November 2007.

Since its inception, Food Rescue has redirected an estimated $3 million worth of food annually to people in need throughout the country.



SOUGHT HELP

Rath and her husband, David, moved to Ellenburg from New Hampshire, where the Hannaford Supermarkets chain of grocery stores had been donating food to local churches for distribution to less fortunate families and individuals.

In May 2008, the Raths decided to follow suit in Plattsburgh.

“And sure enough, Hannaford here allowed us to start with our local church, the First Assembly of God Church on Prospect Avenue in Plattsburgh,” Mrs. Rath said.

“When we started, that wasn’t through the (Food Rescue) organization; it was just through our church and done with my family. For the first year, it was just me and my husband and the kids.”

“We pick up from Hannaford on Sunday mornings only, but they give us a lot — everything from their whole produce to the dairy sections, from breads to fruits and veggies, cakes and even their rotisserie chickens.”



SORTING DUTY

The Raths’ children — Isaac, 11, and Emma, 7 — help collect, carry and sort foods.

Several people volunteer at the church, assisting in the distribution every Sunday morning.

“On Sundays, we go to our church and hand it out to people in need,” Mrs. Rath said. “We set it up like a grocery store, putting all of the bread together, and then all the fruits and veggies.”



CHAPTER FORMED

Shortly after they began picking up from Hannaford, Mrs. Rath heard about Food Rescue and contacted the organization about starting a local chapter.

The Food Rescue parent organization has national contractual agreements with Starbucks and Panera Bread to pick up food that would otherwise be thrown out or would spoil and take it to local charities or food shelves.

The Plattsburgh Chapter of Food Rescue has negotiated its own agreements with Hannaford and Price Chopper through the First Assembly of God Church.

Food Rescue volunteers collect food at Price Chopper on Tuesday mornings and from Starbucks on Sunday mornings.



NIGHT PICKUP

The recent opening of Panera Bread at Consumer Square presents the group with the opportunity for more frequent — and even larger — collections.

Food Rescue has been approved to collect food from the Plattsburgh bakery and sandwich shop each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night.

“That is the difficulty; it has to be a night pickup,” Mrs. Rath said. “I am hoping we can get more people to help pick up this food.”

It is a challenge for the Raths to make frequent trips to Plattsburgh from their Ellenburg home and to do large pickups with a small car.

“We have the go-ahead to pick up every night, but it is kind of a stretch.”

Given the sheer volume of food provided by Panera Bread, Mrs. Rath thinks the donation would be most helpful if taken to the Plattsburgh Salvation Army.

“What we need are people to pick up the food and take it somewhere other than the First Assembly of God Church,” Mrs. Rath said. “We know the Salvation Army can take it, but they can’t pick it up because it’s at night.”

Volunteers are needed to make a pickup from Panera Bread and then take the saved food to the Salvation Army the following morning.



‘it’s a blessing’

Food Rescue is also willing to direct food to other places, if the need exists.

“If someone tells us there is a needy person or family, we will pack up a box and bring it to them,” Mrs. Rath said.

“Up to this point, we have let whoever come and take the food (from the church). If someone says they need a box of food, we give it to them.”

Mrs. Rath believes it is not up to her or her husband to decide who should get the food.

“It’s given to us for free, and as long as we have it, we want to give it to whoever needs it. It’s a blessing, and we want to be able to bless others.”

Mrs. Rath said the first pickup they made from Pannera Bread — an estimated $500 worth of food — was overwhelming.

“We would love to grow and add anything and everything we can, but we need more help.”



HOW TO HELP

Anyone interested in volunteering to assist Food Rescue with its mission may contact Plattsburgh chapter president Kristie Rath at 802-0812 or midwifekristie@hotmail.com.

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