Volunteer

Volunteering for a “shift” is easy and fun to do. Typically “shifts” only take less than an hour and you get to meet some of the most generous and grateful people.

Don’t have a car or want to help in a different way? E-mail us and we will apply your skills in other ways to help feed those in need in our community.

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Our Funders

We have been able to continue our work thanks in part to grants from these foundations. We could not help feed those in need without support from the community!

March Madness is not just for college basketball.  Athens Food Rescue has one, too.

The flurry of activity for AFR involves delivering food provided every year at this time by an anonymous donor.  This year that donation was over 5000 pounds.

Over a several days period, 11 AFR volunteers picked up from eight locations and delivered to nine locations.

“Most of the food went to Torch Feed My Sheep Food Pantry,” said Nanda Filkin, executive director of Athens Food Rescue. “Bishopville Food Pantry also received some food for their distribution.”

(Photo, left to right, John Greenwalt from Torch, Kristin Distel (AFR), Patty Greenwalt (Torch), Kate Ross (AFR) and Roger Lemon (Torch)

Other recipients included United Campus Ministry, First United Methodist Church, The Hive, Serenity Grove, The Gathering Place, the Athens County Food Pantry and Good Works.

“These donations come at an important time when food pantries are seeing a drop in funding and an increase in visitors,” said Filkin.  “Also, donations such as these help feed children that are not receiving food at school because of spring break. Many of our area children receive free lunch and breakfast at school and when they are on spring break do not receive this important resource.”

AFR is a non-profit organization that has been helping to feed hungry people and keeping surplus food out of the landfill since 2015.

If you would like to support this all-volunteer effort, send a check to Athens Food Rescue, P.O. Box 1143, Athens, Ohio 45701. Donations can also be made at AFR’s website – www.athensfoodrescue.com.

Volunteer with AFR

Why participate in food rescue?

Help the Community

  • 1 in 6 American households are food insecure

  • Contributing to Athens Food Rescue helps feed hungry people in Athens with food that would otherwise go to waste

Improve Your Bottom Line

  • Reduce waste hauling fees

  • Cut costs by developing new waste reduction strategies

  • You may be eligible for an enhanced tax deduction

Bolster Sustainability

  • Food recovery helps reduce food waste, America’s largest waste stream

  • Organic waste emits methane, which is 21 times more harmful than carbon dioxide*

  • Source reduction and donating food to feed people are the best ways to reduce food waste

Liability Protection

  • The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act protects all good faith food donors from liability

  • Thousands of businesses, universities, and even the federal government donate surplus food regularly

Learn more about food waste management with these resources:

If you would like to donate to Athens Food Rescue, you can send us a check to:

Athens Food Rescue, P.O. Box 1143, Athens, Ohio  45701

You can also donate to Athens Food Rescue by giving directly to The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio in our name. Gifts to the Athens Food Rescue Fund are tax deductible and can be made in many ways, including cash, bequests, and life insurance.  You can find more about how to do this here.