Western has donated more than 7,500 meals to non-profit organizations in London, Ont. - saving nearly 14 tonnes of greenhouse gases - since partnering with Second Harvest. (L to R) Jill Sparling, volunteer with St. John the Evangelist, Heather McNamara, Tuesday hospitality meal manager at St. John the Evangelist, Kristian Crossen, executive chef at Western, Pheobe Bigden and Kole Rideout, MealCare volunteers. (Western Housing and Ancillary Services)
From bread and cookies to chicken and lasagna, none of it goes to waste at Western, where an expanded food diversion program supplies local organizations in London, Ont.
All dining halls and eateries on Western's campus joined the effort this fall, using the donation platform created by the non-profit agency Second Harvest to offer surplus food to those in need. Since a pilot project with Second Harvest was launched in May, Western has donated over 7,500 meals to 19 non-profit agencies, saving nearly 14 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
"There is gratitude with every pickup, and that builds gratitude on our end, too. We're grateful for the partnerships and being able to contribute in this way," said Shawn Finkbeiner, acting director of hospitality services at Western.
"These partner groups are resourceful and their volunteers are incredible."
Second Harvest describes itself as a "food rescue charity." It works with restaurants, grocery stores and other institutions to keep food out of landfills and get it onto plates. Second Harvest developed an online platform to make donating food - and claiming it - easy for everyone involved.
Many organizations that connect with vulnerable Londoners pick up donations from Western, including Ark Aid, Bethel Church, St. John the Evangelist and St. Paul's Social Services Food Bank and Fellowship Centre.
Linking Western's food with 'rescuers'
It all happens through the Second Harvest platform.
"Think of it as Facebook Marketplace for food. We put food up for claiming, for rescue," Finkbeiner said.
Staff and student volunteers help to ensure each donation that hits the platform is clearly explained. They share what the food is - protein, bread, produce, and so on - and the amount.
"This way, agencies can see what it is and how much volume there is to determine if they can make use of it," Finkbeiner said.
Once it's posted, student volunteers make the rescue possible.
William McCullagh, who founded the volunteer group MealCare, became passionate about diverting food waste when he moved to London, Ont. and saw the extent of homelessness in the city.
McCullagh and his team pitched the idea, eventually getting the green light to conduct an audit at Ontario Hall in 2023.
"If you're feeding 1,000 students a day, you're going to have food waste; you can't be perfect. Ontario Hall is great with managing food waste, but there were small amounts that could be repurposed to feed the London community," he said.
Within a year, their work at Ontario Hall - packaging and donating leftovers - grew to include all residence dining halls.
"We quickly expanded to all the residences. We work with Second Harvest to ensure local shelters have equal access to the food," McCullagh said.
It's heartening to see the support for the program across dining halls and campus eateries, he added.
"Chefs don't want to see their food go to waste; all the chefs are really keen."
Creativity turns rescued food into full meal services
Food donations across campus are posted to the Second Harvest platform daily.
At Western, there are leftover buns, chicken drumsticks and everything in between. Since university restaurants serve such a huge variety of food, they produce an array of donations, including gluten and dairy-free products and Halal or Kosher meals.
Leftover burgers are turned into taco salad. Bread is used to make croutons or dumplings. A 5-kg commercial size bag of aioli became salad dressing, pasta sauce and dip.
There are a few items that can't be donated for safety reasons, like sushi, or packaged food that's been opened.
"At every step of the way, we're ensuring proper food safety and cooling. That's just part of what we do. This is food we would feel safe serving to our community," Finkbeiner said.
Kole Ridout, a second-year student in the management and organizational studies (BMOS) program, is preparing to take over MealCare after McCullagh graduates in the spring.
"We hope to grow the program and build a larger team. The goal is to get more students involved for the future."
MealCare volunteers are even seeking out possible new donors, such as fast casual restaurants close to campus, where their team could feasibly help to manage pick-ups from non-profit agencies.
"We have a need for a diverse range of volunteers," McCullagh said. "Whatever their skillset or interests may be, there's a way they can help."
Finkbeiner said MealCare's work to make the food diversion program a success speaks to the enthusiasm on campus. There is a broad desire to reduce waste and ensure surplus items are put to good use. Staff are eager to help, and student volunteers are the final link between Western and the non-profit recipients.
"It really is a wonderful student, staff, community spectrum of involvement."
