"The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry.... The acts of charity you do not perform are so much injustices you commit."
— SAINT BASIL THE GREAT

Ask your grocery store what they do with their soon-to-be-expired food.

Bring a copy of the THE GOOD SAMARITAN ACT next time you shop.

Volunteer at your local food bank or food pantry.

Take only what you need while in the cafeteria, store, work, and home.

Love your leftovers....can, pickle, dry, or make soup.

Frequent the famers' market to buy fresh, locally grown food with little to no packaging.

Plant an edible garden.

Keep chickens to eat food scraps and provide eggs.

Compost. Recycle. Conserve.

Cook, eat, and enjoy food together .

Join the EAT TRASH Campaign to End Food Waste

Write or call your member of Congress.
Tell them that you care about food waste, the hungry, and the environment.

Participate in your city's food policy council
If there isn't a council, start one.

An important first step to really caring about the issue of food waste is hopping in a dumpster, bringing home the food, and eating it. Eating trash is a subversive act. It goes against a culture of over-consumption and gratuitous wastefulness. Experience that initial rush, shame, fear, and exhilaration of "stealing" trash and eating it will change you in good ways.

Second, it's important to go to your local grocery store and ask what they do with their food waste. They might not tell you. Or they'll dodge the question by listing organizations to which they donate. Ask them about all the FRESH food--meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables. Ask them if they would be open to allowing you to pick this food up and bring it to a nonprofit that serves the needy. Do all of this with a pleasant tone, big smile, and servant's heart. Bring the Good Sam act with you!

Third, you'll need a place to bring the food, so you'll have to locate a shelter or food bank in your area that could use the food. This is where logistics comes into play. They'll need to be able to immediately use or temporarily store fresh food....shelving space, refrigerators, freezers. This step actually happens at the same time as visiting your local grocery stores. You will probably need a letter from the shelter or food bank stating their needs, requesting donations, and naming you or your family/friends/organization/church as the volunteer designated to pick up the food. Search the web or use these links to locate a food bank near you:

Food Donation: Feed People—Not Landfills | EPA
Find a Local Food Bank | Feeding America

Wasted Food
Bread for the World
World Food Day USA
World Food Program
Food, Inc.
God Provides Food Bank Second Harvest Food Bank
THE FOOD NOT BOMBS MOVEMENT
FoodFinders
Food Waste | EPA
WRAP - Material Change for a Better Environment
Love Food Hate Waste