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The Second Helpings Story
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The Second Helpings story begins in 1995. Three local chefs—Kristen Cordoza, Bob Koch, and Jean Paison—got together to talk about the food service industry and their community.
They had seen firsthand the tremendous amount of waste in the food service industry. At the same time, they were acutely aware that most programs serving the disadvantaged often struggled to provide for their clients' most basic nutritional needs.
As food service professionals, they knew just how difficult it was to find employees with the skills needed to be productive in a commercial kitchen. Yet they also knew that many adults struggled in poverty and low-wage jobs because they lacked the basic skills that would allow them to earn more and build a career.
So the three chefs set forth to solve all four problems--food
waste, hunger, job training, and a source of skilled labor for
the local food service industry--with one solution: turn unused
food into meals and jobs.
Second Helpings was born in Spring, 1998. In our first full
month of operation, 37 volunteers helped rescue 7,000 pounds
of food and prepare 3,074 meals.
Thanks to our founders, partners, board, staff, and volunteers,
we’ve grown beyond anyone’s expectations: Second Helpings currently
turns over a 100,000 pounds of rescued food into 50,000 meals
every month.
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