NATIONAL DIRECT TRANSFER, FOOD RESCUE ORGANIZATION TO BEGIN OPERATIONS IMMEDIATELY
New Orleans is the Fifth Site Across Four States that will Employ the Organization’s Groundbreaking Proprietary GoRescue Software Application
South Norwalk, CT - Community Plates, the Connecticut based food rescue organization, has announced their launch, and appointment of a Site Director, in New Orleans, LA. This marks the opening of the fifth location, nationwide, for the innovative hunger relief group, a location (Orleans Parish) where 22.3% of adults and 23.1% of children are food insecure. Albuquerque, NM, Columbus, OH, Fairfield, CT and New Haven, CT are already community based sites in the fight against food insecurity in the United States where Community Plates is leading the charge. The organization’s proprietary, groundbreaking technology, GoRescue, has allowed them to rescue over five million meals in three years, all of it directly transferred by over 650 volunteer drivers nationwide, for immediate use, to over 40 receiving agencies. These rescued meals represent over seven million pounds of food that did not go into landfill.
Community Plates has been chosen by Propeller as a 2014-2015 Accelerator Fellow which will greatly expedite the set up of the New Orleans operation. Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation, selected Fellows from the most competitive pool of applicants to date based on their high potential for social impact, financial viability, and demonstrated entrepreneurial leadership. The 2014-2015 Accelerator class includes emerging industry leaders and catalysts for social change, bringing viable and innovative solutions to Propeller’s four target sectors of healthy food access, public health, water management, and education.
Community Plates’ Executive Director Kevin Mullins said, “We’re excited about New Orleans because of the passion of our leaders on the ground there. It’s immediately obvious that this is a city determined to care for everyone one of its citizens in need. Our platform is a perfect fit for New Orleans, not the least of which is our ability to serve restaurants who want to make the best use of any usable surplus food they have. We can’t wait to see the results as our new Site Director Lauren Rudzis and her team establish this innovative platform there.”
Site Director Lauren Rudzis comes to Community Plates after living up and down the East Coast, with stints in California and Hawaii, and serving in the Peace Corps in Cambodia supporting the Community Health Education Program. Following her service and travels through Asia and India, she came back to make her home New Orleans. “In a place known for it's life, love, and food, I'm anxious to launch Community Plates' innovative solution to end hunger in the Big Easy and mobilize one of the greatest communities in the country,” Rudzis commented.
Founded in January 2011, Community Plates is committed to ending American food-insecurity through direct-transfer food rescue. Established as a 501(c)3 non-profit food-rescue platform, Community Plates is focused on transferring healthy, usable foods to where it can help feed those in need. This volunteer-driven, technology fueled process coordinates with restaurants, grocers, bakeries, caterers and other food-service organizations who have foods destined to be thrown away and delivers the food, for immediate use, to soup-kitchens, food-pantries and other hunger relief organizations who serve food-insecure individuals and families.