The Retail Rescue Program enables the Regional Food Bank to increase our emergency food distribution by collecting food from participating grocers that would otherwise be discarded. Because of strict guidelines, stores often discard safe and nutritious food.
The Regional Food Bank works with grocers to recover these otherwise expensive and difficult to obtain items such as meat, dairy, and produce – allowing food insecure residents throughout Northeastern New York to prepare well-balanced, nutritious meals for themselves and their families. The program accounts for half of the donated food items we collect.
In 2025:
- 15.1 million pounds of food rescued, the equivalent of 12.6 million meals
- 240 individual stores across 19 retailers participated
- 7 Food Bank drivers made pick-ups 5 days a week
- 153 RPAs picked up from stores primarily outside of the Food Bank’s truck routes
