First Community Food Rescue Week Spotlights Efforts to Fight Food Waste and Hunger

What does the term gleaning and the adage “Waste Not, Want Not” have in common?

Manna Food Center is hoping you will participate in the first Community Food Rescue Week to find out!

Manna Food Center, Montgomery County’s largest food assistance organization, and the Community Food Rescue network have teamed up to educate, inform and entertain the community with a week of fun-filled events to fight food waste and hunger in Montgomery County. The events are free and open to the public.

Community Food Rescue Week events include:

• Composting at Urban Gardening Expo
  Learn from the MoCo Food Council’s Environmental Impact Working Group how to reduce food waste and enrich your garden and the environment by composting food scraps. Bring the family.
  Saturday, October 13
  10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  Silver Spring Library

• Cooking with Recovered Food
  Join Executive Chef Diego Fernandez (Marriott International), Kindworks volunteers, and co-host Silver Spring United Methodist Church as we transform rescued ingredients into delicious and nutritious dishes.
  Sunday, October 14
  2 – 5 p.m.
  Silver Spring United Methodist Church
  33 University Boulevard

• Trivia Night at Caddies
  Join co-host Bethesda Green and test your food knowledge, support local hunger relief and sustainability, and win fun prizes! Come by 7 p.m. to get a table and sign-up or join a team.
  Tuesday, October 16
  7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
  Caddies on Cordell
  4922 Cordell Avenue

• Founding Farmers Happy Hour
  Mix and mingle with co-hosts Founding Farmers, foodies and food advocates to support our local food system, food security and fight food waste. Jackie DeCarlo, CEO Manna Food Center will share the county’s vision for food security. $9 includes appetizers and first drink. Space limited; please pre-register.
  Wednesday, October 17
  5 – 7 p.m.
  Founding Farmers
  12505 Park Potomac Avenue

• Gleaning at Butler’s Orchard
  Join us to glean apples to help a community food rescue network food provider serve neighbors who experience hunger. Limited to 25 participants (ages 13 and older with adult supervision).
  Thursday, October 18
  10 a.m. – Noon
  Butler’s Orchard
  22222 Davis Mill Road

• Cooking with Gleaned Produce
  Join Chef Rita Garruba (Barrel+Crow), Kindworks volunteers, and co-host Silver Spring United Methodist Church to cook the fresh produce gleaned earlier in the day from Butler’s Orchard. Space limited to 15 people.
  Thursday, October 18
  6 – 8:30 p.m.
  Silver Spring United Methodist Church
  33 University Boulevard

• No Waste, Big Taste: A Rescued Food Cooking Competition
  Watch teams of local chefs create a two-course meal using mystery recovered foods including rescued items from farm market vendors.
  Saturday, October 20
  11 a.m. – Noon
  Fountain Stage at FRESHFARM Downtown Silver Spring Market
  890 Ellsworth Drive

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