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New program aims to turn "rejected food" into help for Hoosier families in need

Posted at 9:59 PM, Mar 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-23 01:22:24-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- Four of Indianapolis’ largest food banks have launched an effort to keep good food out of landfills and get it into the homes of those who need it most.  

Gleaners, St. Vincent De Paul, Midwest Food Bank and Second Helpings have started Indy Food Drop, an effort to put truck drivers in touch with food banks when they have deliveries that get rejected by retailers.

It’s common for truck drivers to end up with extra pallets of food that were rejected because of any number of issues including the way they look or even just a tear in the packaging.

“It could be the bananas were the wrong length or the lettuce leaves curled instead of going straight,” said Jennifer Vigran with Second Helpings.

The goal of Indy Food Drop is to connect those drivers with a local food bank so that the rejected food doesn’t get thrown away.  

The Indiana Motor Truck Association says drivers often dump their excess loads of food products because of the time it takes to locate a place to donate it.

“We developed Indy Food Drop to inform truckers quickly ‘here are your options, here are different organizations that can accept this food, here’s what their capacity is and here’s how to contact them,’” said Vigran.

The group is working with IMTA to advertise the campaign and educate truck drivers through social media, insurance companies and contact at local truck stops.

To learn more about the program visit IndyFoodDrop.org.