Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue
Our grassroots movement to rescue excess perishable food to feed the hungry is growing!
2016 Food Rescue Total Exceeds 600,000 Pounds
Thanks to the generous support of the Omaha community, Saving Grace rescued and redistributed 608,893 pounds of food in 2016. Dairy products, meats, prepared meals, fruits and vegetables, and grain products valued at more than $1 million provided important nutrition to some of the most challenged children, seniors and families in Omaha.

Since our first refrigerated truck rolled onto the streets of Omaha on Sept. 30, 2013, Saving Grace has consistently increased the amount of perishable food t hat is rescued from grocery stores, caterers, w holesalers, restaurants and other food purveyors and redistributed to our partner nonprofits to feed their clients. Our lifetime total for food rescued exceeds 1.3 million pounds! 

With a new year underway, we have already seen an increase in the number of food donors we serve, and additional nonprofits are being added to receive the donated food. Information for businesses interested in becoming food donors is available on our How to Help page at www.savinggracefoodrescue.org . Nonprofits that would like to apply to receive food can find a link to the application on the Who We Help page.  

Watch for updates throughout the year on how together we are making an impact on hunger and food waste in Omaha. 


608_893 pounds
Here's How
You Can Have an Impact on Food Waste 

Properly storing food items helps keep them fresh longer, which reduces food waste. Find out the best ways to store dairy products, produce, meats and many other foods using the FoodKeeper app. It was developed by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, with Cornell University and the Food Marketing Institute. 

FoodKeeper is available online on the foodsafety.gov website and also as a mobile application for  Android  and  Apple  devices.

Planning a party for game day? 

Game day foods
Don't forget to think about food safety. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers easy tips for food safety when entertaining. Here's one tip that will also help you eliminate food waste:

If you're planning a buffet at home and are not sure how quickly the food will be eaten, keep buffet serving portions small.  Prepare a number of small platters and dishes ahead of time, and replace the serving dishes with the fresh ones throughout the party. Store cold back-up dishes in the refrigerator and keep hot dishes in the oven set at 200 °F to 250 °F prior to serving. This way, your late arriving guests can safely enjoy the same appetizing arrangements as the early arrivals.

We Are Grateful for Our Community's Support

Special thanks to these local companies and foundations that recently provided financial support that helps Saving Grace sustain our operations:

End-of-Year Grants:  We are so appreciative of the support we receive through grant funding. Special thanks to these foundations that provided grants during November, December and January: Amy L. Scott Family Foundation; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska; Burlington Capital Foundation; David Scott Foundation; Leland and Dorothy Olson Foundation; Omaha Community Foundation; Sherwood Foundation; and Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation; 

Gardening for a Cause:   Presbyterian Church of the Master recently donated some of the proceeds from its 2016 Community Garden and Sunday Garden Mart to Saving Grace to help with hunger relief efforts. This donation will help provide fresh and wholesome food to those who are hungry.

Choice Dollars:  Last year, 335,000 Thrivent Financial members chose to direct Choice Dollars to more than 32,000 churches, schools and other nonprofits. Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue was fortunate to be one of the recipients for this charitable outreach funding in 2016.

Supporting Our Cause:  Special thanks to Weitz Investment Management and its employees who supported Saving Grace with end-of-year donations and a company match. We also want to give a shout out to Farm Credit Services of America for donating proceeds from its raffle of decorated Christmas trees to Saving Grace. We love it when companies and their employees come up with fun ways to support our work!


ConAgra check presentation
 ConAgra Brands:  Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue received a grant from ConAgra Fo ods in late 2016 for our perishable food pipeline that relieves food insecurity by locating 
perishable food that is not currently being recovered from restaurants, grocery stores,  caterers, wholesalers and other food purveyors and matches it to the needs of local nonprofit agencies. 

Left, Beth Ostdiek Smith, president and founder, and Mike Hemenway, 2016 board chair, accept the check during a presentation with ConAgra team members.

Woodmen check presentation

Woodmen Support:  Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society recently presented Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue with a check. 

Right, Beth Ostdiek Smith, president and founder, accepts the check from Bruce Moritz, director of financial outreach.



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