Lifestyle | A Great Cause In your Backyard | Denver Food Rescue

We often don't stop to think about fresh product being a luxury. Because for most, it's has become more of a chore. Go to the grocery store, muscle your way through Whole Foods, remember your reusable bag...The list goes on. But, for the better half of our country being able to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to their families is actually a rarity. Having access to healthy produce is the difference between feeding your children 99c Big Macs for dinner or a plate of fresh greens. It also means teaching your children about nourishing their bodies rather than just eating to fill a void. Food is medicine, and should not just be a luxury for the elite but a tool that all Americans have access to. *end rant*

 Denver Food Rescue is a local non-profit out of Denver that is focused on improving health equity outcomes by increasing access to healthy foods in low-income areas. They do this by redistributing left over produce at grocery stores that would otherwise be thrown away as waste. Some of these grocery stores and partners include: The GrowHaus, Birdseed Collective, Park Hill’s Boys & Girl’s Club and Five Points’ Heart & Hand Center for Youth & Families.

Interesting concept, huh? We thought so too! But it gets better. They redistribute roughly 75% of their produce via bicycle so that they can reach hard to target areas that would otherwise not take advantage of emergency food assistance. Using bicycles allows them to move food directly from the source to resident-led free food programs. So therefore, areas like food deserts and food swamps have roughly the same access to fresh produce as us metropolitan dwelling city-slickers.

Coming up on August, 29th Denver Food and Rescue is hosting their first ever Annual Food Rescue and Ride Celebration. Come dressed as your favorite fruit or vegetable, ride 15, 30 or 60 miles and then celebrate this great organization with free beer, prizes, massages and t-shirts! Get more information about this fundraiser right here.

As with every 501(c)3 nonprofit, you can always donate and write it off on your taxes! So come on people, it's for the children!