Denver Food Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working alongside our Denver neighbors to reduce food waste and advance nutrition security — building a more equitable and resilient city for everyone.
Every day, we recover surplus fresh food from grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and wholesalers that would otherwise go to waste. With the help of volunteers and our carbon-neutral e-bike fleet, we deliver this fresh food directly to community-led No Cost Grocery Programs, where it’s shared free of charge and without barriers — no paperwork, no stigma, just nutritious, culturally relevant food for all.
In 2024 alone, we recovered 58% fresh fruits and vegetables, valued at $2.9 million, and distributed it at no cost to neighbors. By keeping good food out of landfills, we prevented 2.1 million tons of CO₂ emissions — the equivalent of taking over 500,000 cars off the road for a year!
At Denver Food Rescue, every dollar you give nourishes individuals and families across Denver with fresh, nutritious food, while cutting the harmful emissions caused by food waste. Your contribution is more than a donation — it’s a commitment to equity, sustainability, and community care.
Your generosity directly fuels:
🌍 Climate Action
Your support keeps surplus food out of landfills and lowers emissions — often delivered by our carbon-neutral e-bikes.
🥬 Nutrition Security
You help provide 22+ neighborhoods with dependable access to fresh food through our barrier-free No Cost Grocery Programs.
🫶 Social Justice
You help ensure everyone — regardless of income or background — can access high-quality, culturally relevant food, supporting dignity and empowerment citywide.
✅ Convenient for You Spread out your gift in a way that fits your budget and never miss a chance to make an impact.
✅ Reliable for DFR Monthly donations provide stable support, help us plan ahead, and reduce fundraising costs.
✅ See Your Impact Stay connected and celebrate the difference you make for communities and the climate.
Join the dedicated individuals and organizations who make this work possible — and stretch your impact further than you might imagine.
We are deeply grateful for our community’s collective generosity, which powers a more sustainable and just food system for Denver. By donating today, you become an essential partner in nourishing our neighbors and protecting our planet for generations to come.
Denver Food Rescues' mission is to "Produce Health Equity with Denver Neighborhoods."
DFR was founded in 2012 to reduce food waste and increase food security, without adding to carbon green gasses. Research on food deserts (areas without access to food sources) shows several communities in Metro Denver without access to a grocery store. Additionally, and historically, many residents of these communities suffer from or are at-risk of developing diet related illnesses. To support the health and food security of these communities, DFR launched the No Cost Grocery Program (NCGP) model.
In 2014, three community-led and volunteer-driven NCGPs were established. Through strategic partnerships with food distributors and collaborations with existing community agencies. DFR volunteers recover high-quality, fresh produce and healthy foods from distributors and delivers it to community NCGP sites. Recovered food is distributed within 2-hours, which maximizes the freshness and quality of the food choices and reduces further waste. This also enables us to recover primarily perishable foods like fresh produce.
In 2023, we:
● Recovered 560,000 lbs of fresh surplus food
● Distributed 450 thousand meals worth of food
● Saved communities $2.8 million in grocery costs
● Prevented 3,062,513 tons of CO2 emissions (that’s equivalent to taking 106 cars off the road for an entire year)
DFR's amazing impacts are made possible by the commitment and dedication of volunteers, partnerships with food donors and community collaborations. It is through dedication, partnerships and collaborations that DFR can provide access to healthy food inside of schools, community and recreation centers, detention and health facilities centers afterschool programs and boys & girls clubs.
The emphasis on partnerships, community-led, volunteer- driven programming and the community board of directors provides DFR the ability and foundation to tailor programs to fit the unique needs of each community.
View our current participation opportunities.
In-Person Volunteering
Join our Board of Directors
Denver Food Rescue
Organization name
Denver Food Rescue
other names
DFR
2012
Tax id (EIN)
46-2096160
Category
Food, Agriculture & Nutrition
Organization Size
Large Organization
Address
3840 York Street Ste 150Mailing
3840 York Street ste 245Denver County, CO, US