Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue fights food insecurity, works with nonprofits to deliver food boxes

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Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue fights food insecurity, works with nonprofits to deliver food boxes

Juli Oberlander • Sep 14, 2021

Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue fights food insecurity, works with nonprofits to deliver food boxes

Photos courtesy of Tracy Wells

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue has provided food relief and hope to Omahans.

In the midst of food supply chain disruptions and business closures caused by COVID-19, Saving Grace Director of Development Tracy Wells says the nonprofit has adjusted to help the community gain access to fresh produce.

"The past 17 months have been ones of change and adaptation for Saving Grace," Wells says. "When the pandemic hit, Saving Grace experienced a major decline in the amount of food rescued from our network of food vendors."

Despite these setbacks, Wells says the Saving Grace leadership team has participated in many community conversations on how to respond to increased needs for food during the pandemic. Like in 2020, the nonprofit has provided its logistics and distribution operations to transport Farmers to Families food boxes and produce from community gardens to its nonprofit partners such as Catholic Charities.

Wells says the team continues to partner with Catholic Charities to transport excess food boxes from Juan Diego Center to Saving Grace's nonprofit partner agencies. The program is expected to last through the remainder of 2021.

During the first 12 months of the pandemic, Wells says the amount of food Saving Grace picked up from its normal channels decreased by more than 50 percent. By transitioning its operations to transport food boxes and working with community gardens, Saving Grace rescued and redistributed more than 1.3 million pounds of fresh, healthy food valued at $2.3 million to feed the hungry in 2020.

"This food filled the gaps created by the decrease in regular food donations and enabled our nonprofit partner agencies to continue to have fresh food for their clients," Wells says. "Many organizations asked for additional food because of increased needs, and we did our best to provide it."

Mikaela Schuele, director of emergency and supportive food services for Catholic Charities, says Saving Grace brings their pantries about 1,200 pounds of rescued food each week. Saving Grace also helps Catholic Charities share pallets of produce by transporting 10,500 pounds of fruit and vegetable boxes every week to neighboring nonprofits.

"Saving Grace is easily one of our most valued partners," Schuele says.

She says Catholic Charities is grateful for the food assistance that Saving Grace provides.

“Catholic Charities could not continue to meet the increasing demands of food support within our communities without the generous hands of Saving Grace," Schuele says. "It is simply hard to put into words the significance of the positive impact that Saving Grace has made for Catholic Charities and for the community at large.”

To read more about Saving Grace, visit the website. Click the link to learn about Saving Grace's upcoming Dining for Good event on Monday, Oct. 4!

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