Drivers stand in front of vehicles delivering food to Omahans most in need. Photos courtesy of Beth Ostdiek Smith (Photos by Autumn Taddicken)

Local nonprofit Saving Grace is enlisting new food vendors in its work to tackle a critical wasted food problem and provide Omahans in need with better access to nutrition.

On early Omaha mornings, Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue has five refrigerated vehicles on the road, dropping off produce to local food vendors. Saving Grace CEO and founder Beth Ostdiek Smith says the organization’s newest truck is sporting a different look from its previous logo.  

“We are launching a major public awareness campaign, and refreshing our brand was an important first step," Smith says. "The recognizable child on the truck remains, but the rest of the look is lighter and more modern. Our fleet of vehicles and our drivers/food ambassadors are central to our work in the community. The trucks are basically rolling billboards, and we hope our new look will capture people’s attention.”

Since the pandemic, Saving Grace has adapted its logistics program to help distribute food aid throughout the community that came from the Farmers to Families Food Box program.

“The community needed help distributing these food boxes from a central drop-off location out to the nonprofit agencies that were serving people experiencing food insecurity," Smith says. "That’s our niche, and we jumped in to provide our services."

Now that those pandemic-related food aid programs are phasing out, Smith says Saving Grace is ramping up efforts to enlist more food vendors to donate their surplus perishable food instead of throwing it out.

“Our 'Nourishing People, Nurturing the Planet' initiative is all about keeping good food from going to waste and helping more people have access to nutrition,” she says. “The fact that one-third of all food produced goes uneaten, while we have more than 80,000 people in the metro area who struggle to meet their dietary needs, is unacceptable. We focus on rescuing the freshest, healthiest foods and deliver them the same day to feed people in need. You would be amazed at the quality of food we keep from being wasted.”

Currently, Saving Grace picks up excess perishable food from food donor locations across the metro and provides that food to more than 40 nonprofit partners at no cost. Since Saving Grace was founded in 2013, Smith says the nonprofit has distributed more than 7.4 million pounds of food in the community. Saving Grace’s mission is to connect perishable food from local food purveyors to local nonprofits that feed the hungry, while raising awareness and educating the community on wasted food, hunger and food inequity. 

Smith says the nonprofit works to eliminate food waste by connecting fresh produce, eggs, dairy products, meats, healthy grains and prepared foods from local food vendors with nonprofit agencies that serve some of the most vulnerable seniors, families, children and veterans in the Omaha community.

Food vendors interested in donating their excess perishable food can contact Saving Grace at 402-651-0887. Saving Grace encourages all types of food businesses to donate, including grocery stores, event venues, restaurants, caterers, convenience stores and wholesalers.

Visit Saving Grace’s website to learn more information about the nonprofit's food rescue work and how the public can help.