Campus & Community

Fight Waste. Feed People! Volunteer With the Food Recovery Network

Wednesday, September 14, 2022, By News Staff
a student volunteer boxes up unused dining center food and delivers it to a community partner

A student volunteer with Food Recovery Network assists with a community agency delivery in spring 2022.

After the dining centers close, as most students are scattering back to their residence halls, to the library to study or toward other late-night activities, volunteers with the Food Recovery Network (FRN), a student organization with members from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) and Syracuse, spring into action.

The premise of their work is simple: to recover as much leftover, untouched food as possible from on-campus dining centers and deliver it to partner agencies located throughout the greater Syracuse community.

Last year, the FRN:

  • recovered 21,985 pounds (almost 11 tons!) of food;
  • contributed around 18,320 meals to neighbors in need; and
  • had more than 80 active volunteers who worked around 100 hours per week, with additional support from dining center staff and partner agencies.

As the FRN continues to expand its mission, they are always looking for more people from the campus community to get involved. Volunteers can consist of a group of friends, or student organizations on campus looking to give back.

To volunteer, complete this form. Shifts can take up to two hours and begin each weeknight at 8 and 9 p.m. at the on-campus dining centers. A car is not necessary to volunteer. Contact Sheila Legus-Christman, FRN secretary, with any questions.

Angela Noon, food services manager at Graham Dining Center, is the staff advisor to the group. She helps coordinate with other dining center managers to ensure that collections run smoothly for FRN volunteers, troubleshooting any concerns that may arise.

“We have families and individuals in need of nutritious meals right here in Syracuse,” Noon says. “We are fortunate to have an abundance of healthy and delicious food in our dining centers that can help cover the gaps in the community. FRN is an opportunity for students and other volunteers to build involvement and connectivity within our community and find common ground with each other.”

To learn more about the organization’s incredible work, follow the FRN on Facebook or Instagram.