Kaizen Food Rescue

KAIZEN FOOD RESCUE AIMS TO PREVENT FOOD WASTE AND IMPROVE FOOD JUSTICE AND HEALTH EQUITY IN THE DENVER METRO AREA. OUR VISION IS TO CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY AND FOOD JUSTICE IN THE DENVER METRO AREA BECAUSE WE BELIEVE HEALTHY AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT FOODS SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.

COMMUNITY POP-UP FOOD SHARES (INCLUDES ELDER FOOD SHARES, SOLIDARITY FOOD SHARES, EL MERCADO PARA TODOS: IN MARCH 2020, WE TOOK COLLECTIVE ACTION AND SHIFTED OUR WEEKLY FOOD PANTRY PROGRAM INTO AN EMERGENCY MOBILE FOOD SHARE WITH 20+ ORGANIZATIONS. WE DEVELOPED A ROBUST MUTUAL AID PARTNERSHIP TO MEET THE NEEDS OF FOOD APARTHEID BIPOC COMMUNITIES HIT THE HARDEST IN THREE COUNTIES. OUR NO-CONTACT CURBSIDE FOOD DISTRIBUTION INITIATIVE EMPOWERS BIPOC COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PROMOTORAS AND YOUTH LEADERS, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCING NUTRIENT DENSE FOOD FROM GOING INTO LANDFILLS. 100% PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED FRESH PRODUCE AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT FOOD, AND FAMILIES WERE ABLE TO SAVE UP TO $200 PER VISIT. IN 2021 AS A FOOD SHARE COLLECTIVE, WE REDISTRIBUTED NEARLY 5 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD TO COMMUNITIES FACING FOOD APARTHEID AND ITS MULTIPLYING AFFECTS

SUMMER KIDS MEALS: DURING THE SUMMER OF 2020, WE PROVIDED SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH A TOTAL OF 14,220 REVOLUTION FOODS KIDS MEALS DURING OUR FOOD SHARE DISTRIBUTION IN LAKEWOOD, DENVER AND THE CITY OF SHERIDAN. THIS INITIATIVE ENSURED ALL CHILDREN HAD ADDITIONAL FOOD SECURITY OVER SUMMER BREAK. FOR 2021, WE ARE PARTNERED WITH JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES AND FOOD BANK OF THE ROCKIES TO INCORPORATE SUMMER KIDS' MEALS INTO OUR FOOD SHARE INITIATIVE. TOGETHER, WE DISTRIBUTED A TOTAL OF 33,636 SUMMER KIDS' MEALS DURING MAY-AUGUST. MOLHOLM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL = 20,136 KIDS MEALS EDGEWATER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL = 3,600 KIDS MEALS COLLEGE VIEW FOOD SHARE LOCATION = 6,300 KIDS MEALS VALLEY VIEW FOOD SHARE LOCATION = 3,600 KIDS MEALS

URBAN GARDEN AND EDUCATION PROGRAM: THIS URBAN CHILDREN'S AND YOUTH GARDEN INCORPORATES THE "TAKE WHAT YOU NEED AND LEAVE THE REST FOR THE COMMUNITY" CONCEPT. SEEDS, SEEDLINGS AND COMPOST WERE DONATED BY FRONTLINE FARMING, COMMN, BIG GREEN, EKAR FARM AND GREEN THUMB COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FRESH FOOD CONNECT. WITH THE GUIDANCE OF FRONTLINE FARMING AND SPIRIT OF THE SUN, OUR YOUTH VOLUNTEERS ARE ABLE TO HELP NURTURE AND MAKE THIS GARDEN FLOURISH. DURING HARVEST SEASON, SURPLUS PRODUCE IS ALSO DONATED TO OUR FOOD SHARE SITES. FRONTLINE FARMING AND COMMON NAME FARM CONTINUES TO DONATE THEIR SURPLUS PRODUCE TO OUR 2021 FOOD SHARES. WITH THE 2021 HEALTHY FOOD FOR DENVER KIDS GRANT, WE ARE ABLE TO FACILITATE MORE EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS CONDUCTED BY LOCAL BIPOC FARMERS FOR OUR YOUTHS AND HIRE ON A YOUTH TEAM TO CULTIVATE THE GARDEN. WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF CONVERTING A 20-FOOT SHIPPING CONTAINER INTO A YEAR-ROUND VERTICAL FARM. THIS FARM WILL GROW CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE FOODS VOTED AND MANAGED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND YOUTH TEAMS.