Turning Excess Food into Food Access.
End Food Waste
Fight Hunger
Mobilize Community
What We Do
Working across sectors and behind-the-scenes, we partner with grocery stores, food pantries, local government agencies, and private businesses to solve the logistical challenges of food waste. Powered by volunteers, we make sure that good food ends up on tables, not in landfills.
How it Works
In partnership with Ottawa Food, the county’s food policy council, Lakeshore Food Rescue uses the nationally recognized Food Rescue Hero app to match food donations with local nonprofits. With a focus on keeping food local and close to its source, we redirect fresh, healthy food to the families who need it most.
22,000 neighbors in Ottawa County are food insecure.
When budgets are pushed to the breaking point, healthy food is often the first thing families cut - prioritizing shelter, healthcare, transportation, and other critical needs. With rising inflation, more and more families face tradeoff decisions that have long term consequences on health and happiness.
Nearly 40% of all food is wasted.
Producing and transporting food takes hard work. Unused food means wasted effort, while creating emissions that worsen climate change. Surplus food in the US is responsible for 22% of freshwater use, 16% of cropland use, and 22% of landfills.
Good food belongs with people, not landfills.
When unused food sits in a landfill while people struggle to afford food, we all lose. Through community collaboration, we direct food away from landfills and into communities - providing increased access to fresh, healthy food, greater dignity and choice, and better long term outcomes for our neighbors.
Our 2023 Impact
An Initiative of Community Action House
Lakeshore Food Rescue is an initiative of Community Action House, in partnership with Ottawa Food, the county’s food policy council.
From 2021-2022, we stepped up our food rescue efforts, with a 72% increase in the amount of food rescued. With ARPA funding through Ottawa County, we’re dramatically expanding our efforts - adding additional vehicles, teammates, partners, and technology to harness the power of local volunteers and rescue more fresh food for our neighbors.
Community Action House works to build a stronger, healthier community, where all of our neighbors have what they need to thrive, and no one faces challenges alone. Through dignified access to essential needs, resource connection and navigation, financial empowerment, and advocacy, Action House serves over 10,000 neighbors each year. Learn more here.