PCC’s grocery rescue
This article was originally published in January 2019
For more than 25 years, PCC has donated food that is edible — but not salable — to our neighbors in need. The goal of our grocery rescue program is not only to prevent edible food from being wasted but also to support our local food banks financially and logistically in a socially and culturally responsible way.
In 2018 PCC entered into a new partnership with Food Lifeline, a regionally based nonprofit, to support our grocery rescue program. We needed to standardize our donation guidelines and pickup process. We also wanted more data about our monthly donations. Most important, we wanted to continue to make certain that the food we donated was wholesome and handled safely.
We kicked off the partnership with meetings between our stores and our food bank partners. Together we’re working to reduce unnecessary waste in our process and ensure quality food is donated through a standardized approach across our stores.
Today, with the help of Food Lifeline, we work with more than 25 food banks across the region to provide about 32,000 meals a month — helping good food get to our neighbors in need.
For more information on how PCC’s grocery rescue program works, visit our Grocery Rescue Page.