What we do?

Real Hope Inc. operates as a food rescue, collecting and transporting edible foods that would otherwise go to the landfill. We work closely with many organizations, as well as food and grocery manufacturers, retailers, shippers, packers, and growers all across Arizona. Our goal is to help minimize food waste and improve access to reliable sources of healthy foods.

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To date we have rescued over 12million pounds of food and serving 1,000 families each week. 

 

In addition to our food program, we host many events to supply the community with educational materials, hygiene products, pet food, new clothing, and Christmas toys.

 

We strive to be a catalyst for positive change and build our community by offering opportunities to serve, give, and collaborate to better assist families in need.

What is food Rescue?

Food rescue, also called food recovery is the practice of collecting wholesome food that would otherwise go to waste and ultimately sent to the landfill. Many of the rescued food comes from several sources such as farms, grocery stores and food manufacturers. 

 

Why is there food rescue?

For instance, many of the fresh produce, fruits and vegetables that do not meet cosmetic standards for shape and color get rejected and sent to waste by either a grocery store or food manufacturer. In 2018 20-40% of produce was sent to waste in the United States from supermarkets for not meeting cosmetic standards, even though much of it was edible.

 

Other times, food manufacturers may donate products that marginally fail quality control, or that have become short-dated. In many cases, products that are near or have reached the "best before" or "sell by" date may still be usable. In an effort to reduce food waste, it is important that consumers understand that the dates applied to food are for quality and not for safety. Food products are safe to consume past the date on the label, and regardless of the date, consumers should evaluate the quality of the food product prior to its consumption.