By Debbie White
At Loaves & Fishes, our mission has always been to nourish people in need—but now, we’re also nourishing the Earth.
Every day, we distribute up to 20 tons of food to families across the community. About 35% of that food is rescued from generous local grocery stores. While most of it goes directly to the families we serve, some items—like bruised produce or expired goods—aren’t suitable for distribution. Until recently, that meant over 300,000 pounds of food waste each year.
But thanks to our new composting initiative, that’s changing.
We’re excited to introduce a high-efficiency commercial composter at our Aurora Food Distribution Hub. This new system can transform up to 1,500 pounds of food scraps into nutrient-rich compost every 24 hours! Instead of sending inedible food to landfills, we’re turning it into something useful and sustainable.
The compost will be shared with community partners like the Naperville Park District and The Conservation Foundation, who grow fresh produce for our clients. It’s a full-circle solution: food that can’t be eaten will help grow food that can.
This initiative is part of our “Feed the Earth, Feed the Community” campaign, made possible by a generous global grant from The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International and proudly sponsored by the Rotary Club of Naperville Downtown. Their support has helped us take a big step toward sustainability, and now, we’re inviting you to join us.
Together, we can care for our neighbors and the planet at the same time. Learn more or make a contribution at www.loaves-fishes.org.
Debbie White is the Senior Director of Donor & Corporate Engagement at Loaves & Fishes Community Services. To get involved with the “Feed the Earth, Feed the Community” campaign, contact her at dwhite@loaves-fishes.org.
