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Each year, thousands of pounds of fresh food from grocery stores, caterers, and distributors are discarded, while families across Greater Cincinnati face daily food insecurity. Traditional food recovery systems weren’t fast enough or flexible enough to meet the need. Last Mile Food Rescue identified a critical gap: the “last mile” of food delivery—the final step in getting rescued food to local pantries and shelters—was often the most difficult and expensive.
With a $100,000 transformational grant from Impact 100 in 2024, Last Mile Food Rescue purchased a second refrigerated van to expand their market beyond Avondale, bringing fresh food to Price Hill residents and beyond.
On a steamy, humid Monday afternoon in July, 25 or more Price Hill residents and families line up in front of the Price Hill Public Library on Warsaw Avenue, plastic shopping bags in hand.
Three volunteers from Last Mile Food Rescue (LMFR) scurry to unpack the boxes, bags and coolers of food that Assistant Market Manager Tiffany Powell unloads with intense efficiency from the large, refrigerated van at the curb: bags of potatoes, heads of lettuce, cheese, cold cuts, Lite Bite muffins, yogurt, containers of soup, bread, buns, bagels, pasta, sausage, margarine and butter.
“It’s a short walk from my house, and I really do appreciate it,” says Robin Clay, a 30-year Price Hill resident who’s shopping for herself and her husband. “Otherwise, a grocery store is several miles in either direction.”
Behind her, 45-year-old Billie Anderson nods. “This market helps tremendously. I really appreciate what they do. Every week, I check out what they have, and they usually have something I like.”
Eileen Budo shares the reach, noting “The grant from Impact 100 has been a huge help, especially with federal grant cuts sending ripple effects across the community. We’re collecting perfectly good food and redistributing it to food-insecure people instead of sending it to the dump.”
More than 800 volunteers use their own vehicles and Last Mile Food Rescue’s mobile app to pick up and transport food to partner agencies. Founded in November 2020, Last Mile Food Rescue’s impact includes:
See how Impact 100’s investment in bold, transformative projects promotes thriving communities throughout the Greater Cincinnati region.
