Then, I noticed Embark doing outreach in the hallway one day. I was happy to find people who are like me, who are passionate about sustainability. I joined right away.

It was not too long before I learned about the Food Rescue Program and joined the volunteer team. Nesters gives their unsalable, yet edible produce to Embark on a weekly basis, which then is re-distributed to the SFU community at no cost. My first impression of the program was, “Wow I thought they only did that in documentaries! I can’t believe I get to learn how this works and do it myself!”

I got along with everyone quickly. The people in this organization are wonderful. They are very funny, entertaining and incredibly supportive.  I have made some wonderful friends and became more confident with the help of Embark.

One of the greatest feelings, is to see people’s smiles. I see the Nesters workers smile because they like that their food is not being wasted. I see students, staff, and faculty smile because they appreciate the free produce.

I’ve learned that Food Rescue has many more benefits:

• The water that is used to make this produce is not wasted when the produce functions to feed people instead of being composted.
• People accessing the program learn that “ugly” fruits and vegetables are still edible and some even better tasting than the nice looking fruits. I find that the riper fruits are more sweet.
• Students are inspired to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diets. It inspires people to eat less meat and try new foods.

Embark has taken a great step in sustainability and local food security, and I hope that the program can be an example of how recovering food waste could be successful. I encourage other communities to talk to their local stores and do the same.

Sasha

Want to see more programming like this across SFU’s campuses? Vote YES in Embark’s upcoming referendum:

Undergraduates, go to www.elections.sfss.ca/vote-here to vote from November 15 (12 am) – November 17 (11:59 pm).

Graduate students, vote November 29 (8 am) – December 1 (11:30 am). Link will be provided.