$131,029 raised by 583 donors
100% complete
$120,000 Goal
We are a nonprofit dedicated to
reducing food waste and
increasing access to nutritious food
with our Denver neighbors!
In a city as vibrant as Denver, the stark reality of food apartheid persists—21 neighborhoods across 15 zip codes experience systemic lack of fresh food due to urban policy and structural inequity. Founded in 2014, Denver Food Rescue (DFR) emerged to confront these disparities head-on, aiming to secure health equity for all Denver residents.
We recover fresh surplus food from grocery stores, food wholesalers, and farmers markets. 76% of the food we recover is fresh produce. We bring the food (often by e-bike!) to one of our 21 No Cost Grocery Program partners, and they distribute it to members of their community with limited access to nutritious foods.
OUR IMPACT
Since 2014, we have:
recovered 4.7 million lbs
of fresh surplus food
prevented 4,200 tons
of CO2 emissions
(equivalent to taking 906 cars
off the road for a year)
saved Denver residents
$15 million in grocery costs
YOUR IMPACT
$15
recovers 21 lbs of
surplus fresh food 🥬
$25
Prevents the CO₂ equal to
burning 14 lbs of coal 🌍
$50
Provides 9 nutritious meals
to Denver families 🍽
Become a Monthly Donor
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Consistency for DFR
Monthly donations ensure stability, helping us plan more effectively and save on fundraising resources.
Witness Your Impact
Stay updated on the real-world impact of your contributions and celebrate the positive change in the communities we serve.
Join hands with Denver Food Rescue and be a catalyst in the movement towards health equity in Denver. Together, we can transform the landscape of food access in our community! 💚
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 a Community-Powered Food Rescue Group! Ride your bicycle (or use a vehicle)
Denver metro area
In-Person Volunteering
Become a Social Media Ambassadors
Denver Food Rescue
In-Person Volunteering
Intern with Us
Denver Food Rescue
In-Person Volunteering
Bike and Garage Maintenance Team
Denver Food Rescue
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 250Mailing
3840 York Street ste 245Denver County, CO, US