Saving Grace’s Impact Affects Thousands in Omaha
A look at what we’ve accomplished together
SAVING GRACE’S IMPACT AFFECTS THOUSANDS IN OMAHA
Feeding the hungry in our community with healthy, tasty food that would
otherwise add to our landfill waste just makes sense. And that’s what Saving
Grace Perishable Food Rescue has been doing since our first truck rolled out
onto the streets of Omaha on September 30, 2013.
Each weekday morning our trucks visit grocery stores, restaurants, caterers
and other food purveyors to pick up excess dairy products, fresh produce,
meats, prepared and packaged meals, and other nutritious food. It’s
placed in Saving Grace’s refrigerated trucks and then delivered the same
day – free of charge – to local homeless shelters, children’s centers, food
pantries and other nonprofits that serve the less fortunate in our community.
Food suppliers and recipient agencies have embraced the concept,
enabling Saving Grace to exceed its 2015 food delivery goal by 33 percent.
With the support of our community partners, Saving Grace is making an impact in
the Omaha area:
Fresh packaged food is
popular at the Stephen Center.
Our Vision
Feed the hungry by rescuing
the heartland’s bounty that
would otherwise go to waste.
Our Mission
Connect perishable food
from local food purveyors
to local nonprofits that feed
our hungry, while raising
awareness and educating
the community on food
waste and hunger.
Our Values
COLLABORATION
IMPACT
INTEGRITY
COMMUNITY
one
3
• In 2015, Saving Grace rescued 415,360 pounds of food valued at $718,573.
• The all-time total since Saving Grace began operations is 713,665 pounds of
food rescued, valued at more than $1.2 million (through 2015).
• A second refrigerated truck was added in 2015, allowing us to increase the
number of regular food donors to 25 and nonprofit agency partners to 19.
• Saving Grace brought Feeding the 5000 to Omaha in October 2015 to raise
awareness about food waste and hunger.
Together, we are making a difference in combating hunger and raising
awareness about food waste and the associated environmental issues.
40% of FOOD
in the United States
today goes
UNEATEN.
Food is the
LARGEST
contributor to
landfill waste in
OMAHA.
1 IN 5 KIDS
in our community
may go to bed
HUNGRY
every night.
rd of the
world’s food supply COULD BE SAVED by reducing waste.
That’s enough to feed 3
BILLION PEOPLE.
Making a delivery to one of our partner agencies
reflections
2015 Board Members
Beth Ostdiek Smith, PRESIDENT
Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue
Lonnie Michael Jr., VICE PRESIDENT
Mutual of Omaha
With your help, Saving Grace is
leading a movement to change our
culture of wasting food. It’s disheartening to think that
26 percent of all produce in the United States is wasted
before it even reaches the grocery store, primarily because
it doesn’t meet strict cosmetic standards. And that food is the largest
contributor to landfill waste in Omaha.
Rebecca Bortolotti, TREASURER/FINANCE CHAIR
ConAgra Foods
John Vyhlidal, SECRETARY
ConAgra Foods
Rich Barmettler, PROGRAM CHAIR
Barmettler Consulting Group
What started as a small, grassroots movement to connect unused food
with agencies that feed the hungry in our community continues to gain
momentum. Saving Grace’s food donations have greatly exceeded our
goals every year, allowing us to feed more of our neighbors. Feeding
the 5000 reached thousands of people through the event last October
and media coverage. The message that food is too good to waste is
resonating throughout our community.
Leslie Fischer, MARKETING CHAIR
Together a Greater Good
Sarah Wernimont, FUNDRAISING CHAIR
Greater Omaha Chamber
Nicole Bianchi
Resolution Consulting
Deb Love
Holland Foundation
Tracy Wells
We’ve added new food donors and financial supporters, along
Partnership 4 Kids
with partner nonprofit agencies and friends who care about
our mission.
Laurie Hellbusch Wolford
“Partnering with you has
Spirit World
been
a
total
blessing.
As
we
While it’s heartwarming to look back at what we have
strive to help families and seniors
accomplished in just over two years, it’s exciting to
in
need and help to restore their
look forward and envision what is yet to come.
Advisory Board
dignity
, it is an absolute joy to give
Thank you for being a part of this journey.
Ellie Archer
them options they would not otherwise
Dennis Circo
have and let them have the
Nancy F. Noddle
ability to really do their own
Carol Russell
shopping vs. just being
“You can see the
given food they may
Beth Ostdiek Smith
impact
Saving Grace is
or may not use.”
Saving Grace Founder
Staff
making each day to dozens of
AND President
Carrie Walter
Judy
Rydberg
local nonprofit agencies through
Catholic Charities
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
partnerships with local food vendors.
Randy Hansen
Saving Grace is the catalyst that
DRIVER/FOOD HANDLER
connects businesses that have excess
Rick Dober
to our community’s hungry, while
DRIVER/FOOD HANDLER
also saving our landfills.”
“Everyone deserves
access to healthy, nutritious
Leslie Fischer
food,
and it is a community
Together a Greater Good
responsibility to ensure
food abundance is
re-distributed to those in need.”
2015
Financial
Summary
Income
Cash Donations
ACTUAL
Board/Staff 3,500.00
Corporations
16,125.00
Events/Campaigns
34,057.53
Foundations
105,750.00
Grants
85,000.00
Individuals
3,108.50
TOTAL INCOME
Expenses
Administration
Marketing/Fundraising Operations/Programming
TOTAL EXPENSES BUDGET
7,000.00
21,000.00
25,000.00
80,000.00
133,100.00
24,670.00
$245,266.03
$290,770.00
31,591.05
35,097.86
133,657.87
44,953.25
51,778.25
262,378.50
$200,346.79
$359,110.00
Laurie Wolford
Spirit World
"Donations
of fresh fruit and
prepared sandwiches
are important to the Stephen
Center’s sack lunch program. We have a
large number of people who need to go out
and work, look for work or take part in outside
programs to better themselves with the skills
they need. We want to make sure they have
something to eat when they are
out and about.”
Richard Couch
Stephen Center
2015
NONPROFIT
PARTNERS SERVED WERE:
nonprofit AGENCY PARTNERS
Nineteen local nonprofits received food
donations that provided needed produce,
protein and dairy to some of our community's
most challenged children, seniors and families.
In many cases, this allows the agencies to direct
more of their funding to programs that meet
other needs of their clients.
SURVEY SHOWS IMPACT OF FOOD DONATIONS
How do Saving Grace deliveries directly
impact our nonprofit partner agencies’ clients?
• Allows clients to eat a more balanced diet 95%
• Helps clients feed their families 90%
• Supplements a nutritionally deprived diet 81%
• Reduces anxiety over where the next meal is coming from 81%
How do our nonprofit partner agencies
use the food that Saving Grace delivers?
• Give out to family members to use at home 65%
• Use by on-site clients to prepare individual or family meals 61%
• Use as supplemental, nutritional snacks 52%
• Use to prepare main meals 48%
TYPES of NONPROFITS SERVED
Bethlehem House
Catholic Charities
Compassion in Action
Daughters of God Ministry
Enoch Ministries
Heart Ministries Inc.
Heartland Hope Mission
Hope Center for Kids
Open Door Mission
Restored Hope
Ronald McDonald House
Salem Food Pantry
Set Free Ministries
Siena Francis House
St. Vincent de Paul Pantry
Stephen Center
Table Grace Cafe
Together
Youth Emergency Services
2
3
After School Programs
1
Church
Transitional Living Facilities
4
2
On-Site Meal Facilities
Shelters
7
Pantries
Global Event
Raises Awareness of Food Waste
Omaha became only the third U.S. city to
“VNA's Cooking Matters
got involved with Feeding the 5000
because, for families on a limited budget,
wasting food is like throwing money
down the drain. It is so important to teach
families how to use every bit of their food, how to
store and preserve it properly, and how to plan
meals so that every bit of the food purchased
gets used. No matter what your budget, reducing
food waste just makes sense.”
Anna Curry
Visiting Nurse Association
“We believe
Feeding the 5000 is an
excellent food waste awareness
venue to help educate the
general public about food
waste, how to divert food from going
into landfills, and how to re-purpose
food to make delicious, healthy meals
for family and friends.”
Nancy Williams
No More Empty Pots
Event photos by Debra S. Kaplan
join the global campaign to shine a light on
food waste through Feeding the 5000. The
October 4, 2015 event was
organized by Saving Grace Perishable
Food Rescue, along with Feedback,
the London-based organization
behind the Feeding the 5000
campaign. It was presented in
collaboration with Food Day and
a coalition of local organizations
that helped raise awareness through
interactive booths and demonstrations.
Local chefs prepared 190 gallons of a hearty autumn soup made with corn,
squash, potatoes, green peppers, beans and other produce gleaned from
area farms. More than 1,000 bowls of soup were served free of charge to event
attendees, and the leftovers were taken to Siena Francis House.
"Making the huge pots of soup using produce that otherwise would have been wasted shows the
impact of rescuing food," said Beth Ostdiek Smith, president and founder of Saving Grace Perishable
Food Rescue.
More than 5,000 pounds of produce and other products were rescued and used for the soup
and grocery area at the event. Volunteers visiting area orchards and fields gleaned 2,400 pounds
of apples, 600 pounds of potatoes, 550 pounds of squash and 300 pounds of beans and
other produce, and local farms donated additional vegetables.
CHOPPING PARTY
Chefs and volunteers prepare for the big event with
a chopping party at The Salvation Army Kroc Center.
2015 donations
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS FUNDERS!
$10,000 AND UP
$100 TO $499
Anonymous
Becker Family Foundation
Holland Foundation
Peter Kiewit Foundation
Lozier Foundation
Mammel Foundation
Sherwood Foundation
The Scoular Foundation
$5,000 TO $9,999
AgriBank
Farm Credit Services of America
Mutual of Omaha Foundation
QuikTrip
William and Harriet Otis Foundation
$1,000 TO $4,999
Anonymous
Clifton B. and Anne Stuart
Batchelder Foundation
Lorene Dulkoski
Robert and Ellen Gordman
Woodmen of the World Life
$500 TO $999
Nicole Bianchi
Brookestone Meadows OWLS
Kim and Vicky Coonrod
Gallup
Kathy Kennedy
Leigh Neumayer and David Bull
Second Unitarian Church of Omaha
Anonymous
Ellen Archer
Ron Azoulay
Elizabeth Baker
Bank of the West
Helen Bartee
Brian Bartels
Mike and Alicia Battershell
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Leslie and Steve Bogue
Amy Bones
Patricia Cody
Eric Currie
Sherrill and Christine Dashner
Leslie Fischer
Katya Gibel Mevorach
Andrea Gordman
Sherry Grout
Kathleen Hahn
David Harding
Michael Hemenway
Kathleen and Bob Herrera
Denise Hill
Norma Hilt
Cookie and Jerry Hoberman
Vikki and Tom Jaeger
Nick Jasa
Russell and Sandra Kiriu
Marcia A. Koory
Gary and Bonnie Lech
Deb and Scott Love
Bill Mahoney
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR
Chris McClellan
Lonnie Michael Jr.
Nancy Noddle
Presbyterian Church of the Master
Reiss Family Foundation
Karla Reynolds
Rick and Carol Russell Family Foundation
Judy Rydberg
Kenneth A. Schieber
Charles and Gigi Smith
Beth Ostdiek Smith
Laurie and Ben Smithers
Sherry Taxman
Dennis and Sherry Thompson
Ginny Tworek
Union Pacific
Jenifer and Michael Weiland
Tracy and John Wells
Sarah Wernimont
Lucy Wilson
William Wimmer
Laurie Wolford
UP TO $99
Claire Adams
Lynette Ashley
Kali L. Baker
Ruth Beers
Rebecca Blum
T. and J. Boles
Mary Beth Branscombe
Carol Brennan
Lorri Brockman
food
donation PARTNERS
COMMUNITY
Donating excess food to feed the hungry rather than tossing it in a dumpster
is now routine for the 25 regular food donors that partner with Saving Grace.
We appreciate these restaurants, grocery stores, caterers, schools and other
food purveyors that provided a total of 415,360 pounds of food in 2015.
50,000 lbs AND UP
10,000 TO 49,999 lbs
2,000 TO 9,999 lbs
UP TO 1,999 lbs
said that
IMPORTANT
to Saving Grace is
to their organization.
-2016 Survey of Food Donors
$718,572.80
DOLLAR AMOUNT OF FOOD DONATED IN 2015
IN-KIND DONATIONS
Ganesh Naik
Christopher O’Callaghan
Evelyn Ostdiek
John Ostdiek
Jennifer Parmenter
Maggie Paulson
Stephen and Angela Phillips
Jason and Angie Price
Thomas Purcell
Rebecca A. Reider
Margaret and Alan Reyes
Cheryl Richards
Audrey Merrill Riddle
Stephen Ross
Harold Sage
Dennette Schroeder
Lourdes M. Secola
Andrew and Michelle Smith
Lindsey Smith
Rachael Smith
Thomas and Connie Sperling
Diane Stewart
Kenley Sturdivant-Wilson
James Swanson
Sharon E. Thonen
Thrivent Financial
Gretchen Venteicher
Brian Washburn
Sara Waugh
Tam and Phillip Webb
Matt Weber
Amanda Wilson
C. Douglas and Frances Wulf
$20,700 total
A Relief
Aqua Systems
Audrey Riddle
Bergman Incentives
Blue Sushi
Brian O’Malley
Christopher Curzon
Circo Enterprise
City of Omaha
Debra Kaplan
Gift Card Karma
Greenberg Fruit
Hy-Vee #9 (180th and Q)
Judy Rydberg
Kathy Kennedy
Keep Omaha Beautiful
Madd Tents
No More Empty Pots
Produce from the Heart
Ragazzi’s
Rebecca Bortolotti
Revolution Wraps
Sherry Thompson
Tess Houser
The Reader
The Salvation Army Kroc Center
Truck Center
All of our donors are important to us, and all
donations are making a difference in our
community. Please accept our apologies if
we have inadvertently omitted a name.
LIFETIME TOTAL OF
“Trader Joe’s Omaha has enjoyed our
long collaboration with Saving Grace.
FOOD DONATED IN POUNDS
2013
Greenberg Fruit
Akin's Natural Foods Market Attitude On Food
Big Mama's Catering
Hy-Vee #9 (180th & Q) Hy-Vee #6 (Applewood)
Catering Creations
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Trader Joe's
QuikTrip Kitchen
Century Link/Levy
Hy-Vee #11 (180th & Pacific)
Whole Foods
Cheesecake Factory Salvation Army Kroc Center
Wohlner's
Hy-Vee #10 (156th & Maple)
Outback Steakhouse
Loffredo Produce
Rigel Airport Service
Pizza Ranch Council Bluffs
St. Vincent De Paul
Pizza Ranch Omaha
Sunrise Donuts
PERCENT of
Pizza Ranch Papillion
respondents
DONATING PERISHABLE FOOD
Colleen Buescher
Carianne Campbell
Gordon and Koda Campbell
Janet Caughlin
Machaela Cavanaugh
Lenli Corbett
Anna Cramer
Thomas D. Davies
J. Dusek
Joseph and Eileen Dyer
Mary Beth Eipperle
Leisha Eiten
Robert and Mary Ellan
Bri Englett
Tim Fickenscher
Bridget Fitzpatrick
Ellen Grace
Donald and Janet Hall
Victoria Hegarty
Susan Hollman
Ignation Association
Leo and S.M. Jackson
Joan Jacobson
Charles and Beverly Kelberlau
Dani, Kaira and Cruz Kessler
Kevin and Laurie Klein
Dick and Linda Larue
Becky Lowe
Lori Lundholm
Julie Malcom
Wendy and Bernie Monbouquette
Megan Moslander
James Murphy
(Oct-Dec)
33,881
2014
2015
TOTAL
264,424
THE
BREAK
DOWN
Pounds of Food
Donated in 2015
TOTAL
415,360
TOTAL
DONATED
713,665
Together we have been able
to get thousands of dollars
of products into the hands
of those who will benefit.
The professional and organized
team at Saving Grace has made
it simple for us to give to our
community.”
Liz Noble
Trader Joe’s Omaha
151,751
138,308
78,117
44,606
2,578
36%
33%
19%
11%
1%
GRAINS
PRODUCE
MEATS
DAIRY
OTHER
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN 2016?
•LOOK for details coming soon on Saving Grace’s food waste festival to be held this fall.
•JOIN Saving Grace in the food waste movement as we participate in local events.
•VISIT our booth at Food Day on October 8th.
•WATCH for our trucks out and about in the community at area business and nonprofits.
INVITE SAVING GRACE TO
VISIT WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION
Saving Grace President Beth Ostdiek Smith was at Center Sphere's
monthly network-wide after hours event recently to promote the
organization and its work in the community. Attendees raised money for
Saving Grace by having their photo taken with Superbowl 50's #HotRef
Clete Blakeman.
If you would like to have someone from Saving Grace
visit with your organization, contact Beth:
[email protected] or 402-215-6718.
CONNECT WITH SAVING GRACE
Beth Ostdiek Smith, Clete Blakeman #HotRef, Monica
Sempek and Diane Stewart at the Center Sphere event.
Keep up with what’s happening:
• Sign up to receive our emails at our website listed below.
• Connect with Saving Grace on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
• Visit our website at www.savinggracefoodrescue.org for the latest information.
Together we are making a difference!
IMPACT 2015
Perishable Food Rescue, Inc.
4611 South 96th Street, Suite 112
Omaha, NE 68127
Thanks so
much for your
support!
www.savinggracefoodrescue.org