WITH Xochi, Sustainability Program Manager
For the record, state your name and what you do here at ACCFB
Hey ya’all! I’m Xochi and I’m the Sustainability Program Manager at ACCFB. I, along with my team, oversee our Food Recovery Program (“FRP”) which takes extra food leftover at grocery stores and other businesses and makes sure it gets to agency partners (food pantries, etc.) to give to the community.
Sounds like a big deal. How much food are we talking about?
Last year our program recovered over 10 million pounds of food. We were very excited to reach 8 digits for the first time!
A lot of people don’t know about FRP. Why does ACCFB have a program like this?
It’s important for two big reasons. It helps our partners get healthy food out to the community and also has an environmental impact. Over 40% of the food produced ends up in landfill and is a huge contributor to climate change, which both affects our agricultural systems and has a huge impact on the communities we serve.
Bit of a curveball here: What’s the strangest food you’ve ever recovered?
I once needed to find a home for preserved duck eggs. Turns out they’re safe to eat 100 years after their expiration date!
If you could be doing something other than Food Banking, what would it be?
I’m happy where I’m at. My dream job involves getting resources to people. Being in community with people. Building relationships. And just a tinge of data analysis and program management — all of which I get to do now!
Thanks, Xochi! One last question: What’s the best way for our readers to support this work?
Look into volunteer efforts near you. Our agencies can always use an extra pair of hands to help pick up food. You can also donate money to keep our program afloat.
