In 1990, in an effort to [help] a Jacksonville soup kitchen, Debra Smyers approached her local supermarket requesting their short-dated food. The store agreed and the kitchen was able to feed more people. From Debra's idea to use surplus food to fight hunger, [Waste Not Want Not] was born.
Waste Not grew slowly but steadily for more than a decade. In 2004, friends of Waste Not decided to transform what was still a group of volunteers working under the auspices of a church into an independent, tax-exempt nonprofit corporation.
We experienced such rapid growth that by 2008, we were in need of a larger building and purchased a new facility that was large enough for our immediate needs and on enough land to satisfy anticipated future growth. By 2010, our 20th anniversary, our volunteers rescued more than one million pounds in a single year!
In 2012, using a grant from the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, we were able to purchase a used truck which allowed us to rescue more food and in 2017, for the first time, we rescued and shared 2 million pounds of food in a single year. We have consistently rescued 2 million pounds a year each year since.
Fast forward to 2020, COVID-19 cancelled most of our 30th anniversary celebrations. It did not, however cancel our mission. Our community needed us more then, than ever. Volunteers who felt comfortable, continued rescuing food. Food donors shared more and our food distribution partners continued to collect their shares. That year, Waste Not provided 2.1 million pounds of food to people in desperate need of help!
Over the years, Waste Not Want Not has always remained mission-focused and volunteer-driven. Since 1990, we have connected the dots between rescued food and hungry people sharing more than 27,500,000 pounds of food! As we approach our 35th year, we continue to fight hunger every day.
