Giving Compass' Take:

• The Colorado Springs Food Rescue community-driven model is overcoming barriers to food access and creating a more sustainable food system.

• How can donors help fund more innovation in this area? What can we do to reduce food waste organically?

• Here's how this food rescue app connects hungry people with fresh food. 

Access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food continues to pose a challenge for many communities across Colorado Springs, CO. According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a relatively high number of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in low-income and low-access census tracts. The Colorado Springs Food Rescue (CSFR) though, aims to tackle local food insecurity and neighborhood health inequity through a holistic food redistribution model.

The CSFR began in 2013 as a group of volunteers who used bicycles to gather food from donor businesses, redistributing it directly to local nonprofits. Now, CSFR offers an extensive program which operates across three main areas; food access, food production, and food education. “CSFR’s model minimizes transportation time; prioritizes the redistribution of healthy, perishable foods; and engages an expansive network of over 160 volunteers,” co-founder Zac Chapman tells Food Tank.

Read the full article on the Colorado Springs Food Rescue by Pauline Munch at Food Tank.