Thanksgiving and ensuing holidays are a time of abundance and celebration. But they also contribute significantly to the broader problem of food waste in Galveston County and across the nation.
On Thanksgiving last year, U.S. consumers wasted more than 305 million pounds of food, according to ReFED Insights Engine, a national nonprofit working to end food waste.
Perhaps a better way to think about that amount, as ReFed points out, is that it would provide 6.5 meals to each of the 38.3 million food insecure people in the country.
As many gathered around an abundance of dishes to give thanks last week, a harsh reality existed for those grappling with food insecurity, Donnie VanAckeren, president and CEO of the Galveston County Food Bank, said.
But Galveston County Food Bank and other organizations are hoping to raise awareness about food waste and prevent it by collecting high-quality food that would otherwise go to waste and distributing it to people facing hunger by working with grocers, farmers and community gardeners.
