ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Editor's note: The video above is from April 14.
A Rock Island business is being recognized by the Food Rescue Partnership for its work in food donation, waste prevention, and hunger relief.
NEST (Nourish Everyone Sustainably Together) Café in Rock Island is being made a member of the Food Rescue Partnership for its locally-unique pay-what-you-want business model, locally-sourced food, animal feed, and composting.
NEST Café, which opened its permanent location earlier this year, operates by offering meals for a range of donations, from the suggested amount of a normal meal price, pocket change, or even volunteering time to work at the café if your pockets are empty. The arrangement is especially important for the food insecure and for people with extra money and time to contribute to helping people eat.
The Food Rescue Partnership is a Quad Cities community coalition dedicated to hunger relief and lowering food waste by working with establishments to take food headed to the landfill and getting it to the tables of people in need or to composting. The coalition recognizes partners by making them a member of the organization.
To become a member of the FRP, a business or organization must regularly donate food to local non-profit hunger relief organizations, sharing the partnership's goal of reducing food waste.
"We are proud to showcase the efforts taken by those in the Quad Cities committed to providing much-needed food to the food insecure in our community - a startling 8.9% in Scott County and 10.9% in Rock Island County," said Christina McDonough, board chair of the Food Rescue Partnership, in a press release. “Donating excess food is a double win, it feeds those who are hungry and helps reduce the amount of food waste being sent to the landfill.”
To apply for the membership program or learn how to get started in food rescue, you can visit the Food Rescue Partnership website.