Improving Efficiency and Promoting Electrification:

Our Hunger Relief Kitchen and Food Rescue operations naturally forefront sustainability and we are striving to bring our internal operations to the same level of environmental stewardship.

One way that we have been giving more consideration toward our resource use is through replacing end-of-life equipment that runs on fossil fuels with electrical equivalents. This reduces our usage of fossil fuels and the negative impacts that they have on air quality and environmental health (Source: National Resources Defense Council).

  • In the Hunger Relief Kitchen, we have replaced the back line for all 4 of our tilt skillets and 2 of them are now fully electric.
  • With our vehicle fleet, we added an electric cargo van in Spring 2025. We’ve also joined the AES Fleet Solutions Program.
  • In the hub, we have replaced an old propane forklift with a new electrical one.

We’ve also changed all of our lights to LEDs and are in the process of adding sensors so lights automatically shut off when an area is not in use. LED lights use 90% less energy, last 25x longer than fluorescent lights, and are free of mercury. Not only are they more efficient, longer-lasting, and healthier, but they also save money. A recurring theme is that what is healthier for the environment is also healthier for us too (Source: U.S. Department of Energy).

There is additional work scheduled for the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system that will increase efficiency and energy savings by adding automation and scheduling. This will allow for the system to be shut down when the facility is not in use. HVAC upgrades and automation are expected to be completed by Fall 2025.

Recently, we have been selected for the first cohort of Thriving Nonprofits, an initiative that includes a free energy assessment and matching grants of up to $10,000 to facilitate building upgrades that reduce energy usage and monthly utility bills.

We are constantly working on making our operations more efficient and sustainable and our progress so far is just the start!