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Blogs About Table To Table Helping Neighbors

How to keep your produce fresh isn’t as simple as just putting it in the refrigerator.

Preserving produce like leafy greens, carrots, and apples not only helps you to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables longer, it can also minimize food waste.

The factors that affect produce freshness are: Temperature, humidity, and how long ago it was harvested before you brought it home, according to an article by The New York Times.

Most refrigerated produce stays fresh longer when sealed, which holds in moisture and protects it from ethylene gas.

How To Keep Produce Fresh

The best ways to keep certain kinds of produce fresh are:

  • Potatoes and sweet potatoes: Don’t refrigerate, store in a cool, dark place, and allow air circulate around it. Keep separate from ethylene-emitting produce like bananas
  • Root and tube produce: Beets, turnips, carrots, parsnips, and ginger: Remove leafy green tops, refrigerate in a plastic bag, or store loose in a refrigerator crisper drawer for up to two weeks.
  • Onions and garlic: Don’t refrigerate, store in a cool, dark low-humid place, keep separate from potatoes, and allow air to circulate around them.
  • Cabbage and its cousins: Refrigerate in a sealed container, uncut heads can go into a refrigerator without a bag, but once cut seal in an airtight container
  • Winter squashes: Store at room temperature and keep away from ethylene-emitting produce
  • Leafy greens: Refrigerate unwashed and seal in zippable plastic bags
  • Apples and pears: Refrigerate in a plastic bag; use a crisper drawer and keep them away from ethylene-emitting produce

As New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue, our mission is to reduce food waste and provide nourishment to our food-insecure neighbors throughout North Jersey. We rescue millions of pounds of fresh food annually that would otherwise be wasted and end up in landfills. This contributes to climate change. We deliver it to partner organizations who support the nearly 1 million people in our area who need it most.

Together, we can reduce food waste in our home and make a positive impact on the planet. Every little bit of effort—no matter how small—leads to change.

Join us in congratulating Matthew Pendolino, Table to Table’s June Volunteer of the Month.

Matthew Pendolino has been volunteering with Table to Table since March of 2024. Congratulations on being named the June Volunteer of the Month, Matthew!

Signing up to be a Table to Table volunteer is easy. Julie Kinner, Table to Table’s VP of Operations, said all you have to do is download the Table to Table I-Rescue app, powered by Food Rescue Hero, on your phone to become a food rescue hero! You’ll complete a simple registration process and volunteer agreement, and then you can get started. The app walks you through every step! 

Volunteers of all ages are welcome to volunteer with our food rescue program. However, the driver must have a valid driver’s license, and a valid vehicle registration and insurance. 

Since we launched, more than 350 volunteers have completed more than 9,600 rescues and delivered more than 2 million pounds of donated food that would have been thrown away.

As New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue, our mission is to reduce food waste and provide nourishment to our food-insecure neighbors throughout North Jersey. We rescue millions of pounds of fresh food annually that would otherwise be wasted and end up in landfills, contributing to climate change. We deliver it to partner organizations who support the nearly 1 million people in our area who need it most.

Together, we can reduce food waste in our home and make a positive impact on the planet. Every little bit of effort—no matter how small–leads to change.

The White House unveiled a national strategy recently to combat food waste and keep edible food out of landfills.

White House officials want to change the behavior of individuals and businesses to reduce waste by expanding food donations and other initiatives, an article by The New York Times stated.

According to ReFED, in 2021, the United States produced 91 million tones of unsold, uneaten food, the article stated. Nearly half of it was edible, but only 2 percent was donated.

Although the White House’s strategy contains no new regulations, Dana Gunders, ReFED’s Executive Director, called the strategy “a good first step.”

Officials in 2015 set a goal of cutting U.S. food waste in half by 2030. However, food waste actually increased between then and 2019, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Uneaten food ends up rotting in landfills, accounting for 16% of U.S. methane emissions.

Since our founding 25 years ago, Table to Table, New Jersey’s first food rescue organization, has rescued enough food for more than 311 million meals and saved 73,000 tons of CO2 from entering the environment.

We pick up fresh, high quality, and wholesome food that otherwise would be discarded. We deliver it safely to soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and senior facilities. You help us by utilizing the Table to Table I-Rescue app, powered by Food Rescue Hero.

The New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative has compiled a list of farmers markets across New Jersey that are authorized to accept state SNAP and EBT benefits. Currently, less than 1/10th of 1% of SNAP benefits are redeemed at Farmers Markets, the FDC stated.

Table to Table regularly delivers rescued and donated food to area markets in Newark that serve their communities, but do not accept SNAP/EBT benefits.

  • Bessie Green Community Fresh Produce Market
  • ICC Cortland Street-Fresh Produce Market
  • Senior Market (Grace West, Villa Victoria)

The Farmers Markets accepting SNAP/EBT benefits located in Table to Table’s service area of Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, and Essex counties are:

Bergen County:

Essex County:

  • Ironbound Community Farmers Market/Down Bottom Farms, 371 Ferry St., Newark; Tuesdays, 2 – 7 pm
  • Montclair Community Farms, 1088 Orange Road, Montclair; Mondays, June 17 – Oct. 28, 10 am – noon and 12:30 – 2 pm
  • The Beth Greenhouse Farmers Market, 201 Lyons Ave., Newark; Thursdays, June – November, 11 am – 3 pm
  • Steam Urban Artisan Farmers Market, 179 Broadway, Newark
  • South Orange Downtown Farmers Market, 12 Sloan St., South Orange; Wednesdays until Oct. 30, 2 – 7 pm

Hudson County:

  • Historic Downtown Farmers Market, Grove Street South Path Plaza, Jersey City; Mondays and Thursdays, 3 – 7 pm
  • Riverview Farmers Market, 1 Bowers St., Jersey City; Sundays 10 am – 2 pm until Nov. 24

Passaic County:

  • City Green Farm Eco-Center, 171 Grove St., Clifton; Fridays 10 am – 2 pm and Wednesdays 3 – 6 pm until Nov. 15
  • Little Falls Farmers Market, Municipal Building, 225 Main St., Little Falls; Sundays 9 am – 2 pm until Oct. 27

As New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue, our mission is to reduce food waste and provide nourishment to our food-insecure neighbors throughout North Jersey. We rescue millions of pounds of fresh food annually that would otherwise be wasted and deliver it to partner organizations who support the nearly 1 million people in our area who need it most.

Together, we can reduce food waste in our homes and make a positive impact on the planet. Every little bit of effort — no matter how small — leads to change.  

Related:

Join us in congratulating Tyra Evans Johnson, Table to Table’s May Volunteer of the Month.

Tyra Evans Johnson has been volunteering with Table to Table since February of 2024. Congratulations on being named the May Volunteer of the Month, Tyra!

Signing up to be a Table to Table volunteer is easy. Julie Kinner, Table to Table’s VP of Operations, said all you have to do is download the Table to Table I-Rescue app, powered by Food Rescue Hero, on your phone to become a food rescue hero! You’ll complete a simple registration process and volunteer agreement, and then you can get started. The app walks you through every step! 

Volunteers of all ages are welcome to volunteer with our food rescue program. However, the driver must have a valid driver’s license, and a valid vehicle registration and insurance. 

Since we launched, more than 350 volunteers have completed more than 9,600 rescues and delivered more than 2 million pounds of donated food that would have been thrown away.

As New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue, our mission is to reduce food waste and provide nourishment to our food-insecure neighbors throughout North Jersey. We rescue millions of pounds of fresh food annually that would otherwise be wasted and end up in landfills, contributing to climate change. We deliver it to partner organizations who support the nearly 1 million people in our area who need it most.

Together, we can reduce food waste in our home and make a positive impact on the planet. Every little bit of effort—no matter how small–leads to change.

Never underestimate the power of kids and the force for good they can be.

More than 100 second-graders from Anna C. Scott Elementary School in Leonia donated 665 lbs. of fresh fruits and vegetables to Table to Table during a special assembly recently — enough food for dozens of individuals to enjoy.

The kids thought of Table to Table while developing a way of how they could have a positive impact on those around them. At first, they were just going to create posters about the need to donate food to a local nonprofit. But they realized they wanted to do more. They wanted to actually give something. They contacted Table to Table after researching local food-based nonprofits and connected with our mission of rescuing nutritious food to help feed our hungry neighbors.

“It became so much bigger than I anticipated it would. The students were amazing. I’m so proud of them,” said Vanessa Franceschini, a second grade teacher at the school.

Table to Table brought the produce to Never Alone Again Resource Center, a nonprofit domestic violence resource organization in Teaneck, where it was immediately distributed to community members.

“I’m so thankful for Table to Table because they are one of our main sources of fresh produce, vegetables and fruits, that our families can have right away,” said Theresa Johnston, CEO and Founder of Never Alone Again.

25 Million Pounds — And Counting

This rescue bring us closer to meeting this year’s goal of rescuing 25 million lbs. of nutritious food. For more information about Table to Table’s Drive for 25 initiative, visit https://tabletotable.org/drive-for-25/. Together, we can reduce food waste in our home and make a positive impact on the planet.

Related

Table Talk Episode 3 With Dr. Laurel Kearns

Q & A With Table to Table’s Julie Kinner

Dr. Laurel Kearns of Drew University in New Jersey appears on this episode of Table Talk.

For this episode of Table Talk, Table to Table’s Volunteer Manager Stephanie Conley-Webb interviewed Dr. Laurel Kearns of Drew University. Dr. Kearns is associate professor of sociology of religion and environmental studies at Drew.

“What we don’t think about is what happens to what doesn’t get eaten. A tremendous food waste is that we only want to buy perfect things so things that aren’t perfect, just a generation or two ago would have been gladly eaten don’t even make it to our stores,” Kearns said.

For more Table Talk episodes, visit our YouTube channel.

As New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue, our mission is to reduce food waste and provide nourishment to our food-insecure neighbors throughout North Jersey. We rescue millions of pounds of fresh food annually that would otherwise be wasted and deliver it to partner organizations who support the nearly 1 million people in our area who need it most.

Together, we can reduce food waste in our home and make a positive impact on the planet. Every little bit of effort—no matter how small–leads to change.  

Related

Q & A With Table to Table’s Julie Kinner

Latest Blogs

Michael Joyce, Table to Table's April Volunteer of the Month

Join us in congratulating Michael Joyce, Table to Table’s April Volunteer of the Month.

Michael has been volunteering with Table to Table since February of 2023.

“I love volunteering because it affords me the opportunity to provide service to those in need and to show appreciation for all the good things that have come into my life,” Michael said.

Now that you know who the April Volunteer is the Month is, you may be asking yourself: How do I sign up to volunteer? It’s easy!

Julie Kinner, Table to Table’s VP of Operations, gave an overview of how simple it is to become a volunteer, but here’s how in a nutshell. It’s super simple. Just download the Table to Table I-Rescue app on your phone to become a food rescue hero! You’ll complete a simple registration process and volunteer agreement, and then you can get started. The app walks you through every step! 

Since we launched, more than 350 volunteers have completed more than 9,600 rescues and delivered more than 2 million pounds of donated food that would have been thrown away.

We sat down and had a conversation with Vice President of Operations Julie Kinner, who keeps our trucks on the road and volunteers rescuing food, about the I-Rescue app, and how you can use it to help deliver nutritious food and help feed our neighbors in need.

Tell us about Table to Table I-Rescue 

Table to Table I-Rescue is an entirely volunteer-driven app that allows people to pick up nutritious food from grocery stores, restaurants, and events that would otherwise be wasted and deliver it to our recipient partners who then distribute it to our food-insecure neighbors. 

The idea of our App came about in 2020, when everyone was scrambling to provide the best solutions for the astronomically high hunger and food insecurity rates caused by Covid. We were contacted by the Russell Berrie Foundation, who shared with us some technology-based food rescue solutions they were seeing in other regions. After much research on the concept, Table to Table decided to partner with Pittsburgh-based Food Rescue Hero, a technology platform that enables a scalable impact on food waste, food insecurity, and climate change.

The Russell Berrie funded a grant for staff support and subsequent maintenance of the App. During this time, the Bergen County Food Access Task Force was also forming, and they stepped in to provide additional support. That’s how Table to Table I-Rescue was launched!

It’s been wildly successful! Since we launched, more than 350 volunteers have completed more than 9,600 rescues and delivered more than 2 million pounds of donated food that would have been thrown away.

How do I sign up to volunteer? 

It’s super simple. Just download the Table to Table I-Rescue app on your phone to become a food rescue hero! You’ll complete a simple registration process and volunteer agreement, and then you can get started. The app walks you through every step! 

Step 1: Download and Register 

Step 2: Claim a Rescue (Turn on notifications, and check the app daily for available rescues) 

Step 3: Pick up food within the designated time window (Address, contact person, and instructions are provided). 

Step 4: Travel to receiving organization (We do all the “pairing” so you’ll know exactly where you’re delivering to).  

Step 5: Deliver donation, and have someone at the recipient agency sign off on the delivery. Easy Peasy! 

What do I need to become a food rescue hero? 

You only need our Table to Table I-Rescue app downloaded onto your phone, a driver’s license, and an insured vehicle. We have high school students who are not able to drive yet but are asking their parents to drive for them. Families are signing up together and doing the rescues. Retired folks are taking on weekday rescues as part of daily errands and outings. It’s so great to receive pictures and stories from them. Each volunteer is truly impacted by the rescue and come back for more! 

Where can I find rescues and how can I claim one? 

All rescues are posted on our Table to Table I-Rescue app. You can find them on the “Available Rescues” tab, a map will be shown with one-time and weekly rescues, or you can switch to list view (in the upper right corner of the screen) to see available rescues in chronological order. Take a look at what works with your schedule and location, identify the rescue you’re interested in, click on “View Rescue” to see details, and then “Claim This Rescue.”   

What happens after I claim a rescue? 

All your claimed rescues will be moved to the “My Rescues” tab, which you can find on the top left hand-corner of the app. Once you are ready to begin the rescue you will click on “start,” then you will find all the necessary information to complete the rescue including address, points of contacts, estimated amounts, time, etc. The app will walk you through the whole process of your food rescue journey. But if you have any questions or face any issues you can call 551-255-6884. Please be aware that you can always go back to the “My Rescues” page to “Resume” your rescue if you leave the app for any reason. 

What is the difference between a “one-time” and “weekly” rescue? 

Weekly rescues occur on the same day, time, and frequency (i.e. every Monday at 10 am), and on the same route (donor and non-profit partner.) If you claim a weekly rescue as a volunteer, you can always request a “sub” if something comes up and you aren’t able to make it. 

One-time rescues or pop-up rescues occur on an as-needed basis. These are not at pre-determined days and times. When you claim a one-time rescue, you’re committing your time for that one rescue only. You can always check the app for more rescues. 

Can I volunteer just once, or will I need to commit to a schedule? 

You are free to volunteer as often or as little as you would like. If you don’t want to commit to a set schedule, you can claim a one-time rescue. If you would like a set schedule, then weekly rescues are the right fit for you. You can also request a sub if you can’t complete a rescue. 

Is there an age requirement to volunteer? 

Volunteers of all ages are welcome to volunteer in our food rescue program. However, the driver must have a valid driver’s license, and a valid vehicle registration and insurance. 

Do I need a large vehicle for food rescues?

No, a large vehicle is not required to complete a food rescue. Any car size is adequate to complete a food rescue. Before claiming a rescue, you can see the estimated amount of food that is being donated to help ensure your vehicle has the capacity to transport the donation. If you get to the donor location and there is too much food for your car, just let the app dispatcher know and we will schedule another rescue immediately. 

If I run into a problem on a food rescue, who can I contact?

You can contact Kharin at 551-255-6884 during the week, and on the weekends, contact Rosalia at 551-352-0354. The same contact information is also displayed in the app. 

We’re so excited for you to get started with Table to Table I-Rescue and join our growing team of Food Rescue Heroes! 

Food Rescue Hero, the organization that powers our I-Rescue app, hosted an informative webinar about reducing food waste recently. Stephanie Miller, author of “Zero Waste Living The 80/20 Way,” outlined practical steps you can start taking today to reduce the amount of food that gets thrown out in the average home.

Together, we can have a positive impact on the planet. By rescuing fresh, nutritious food that would otherwise go to a landfill, we are able to not only feed food insecure neighbors but also help the environment.

Forty percent of the United States’ food goes uneaten — that’s more than 220 pounds per person! By rescuing the excess food, we can provide countless meals for hungry children and families while preserving our environment. 

As New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue, our mission is to reduce food waste and provide nourishment to our food-insecure neighbors throughout Northern New Jersey. Each year, we rescue millions of pounds of fresh food that would otherwise be wasted and deliver it to partner organizations who support the nearly 1 million people in our area who need it most.

Related

Q & A With Table to Table’s Julie Kinner

Table to Table’s Tips for Saving Food from Landfills

Helpful and Tasty Ways to Stay Heart-Healthy

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