UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital partners with We Don’t Waste to feed thousands across Denver metro area.

UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital donated more than 61,000 servings of excess food to local nonprofit We Don’t Waste last year. The donations total upwards of 15,000 pounds of food.

We Don’t Waste is a food recovery organization that collects excess food and re-distributes it to people in need. Due to inflation and the recent reduction of emergency SNAP benefits, the organization expects a record number of Coloradans will soon be needing some type of food assistance.

University of Colorado Hospital has partnered with We Don’t Waste since 2013, regularly donating thousands of dollars of excess food from its cafeterias. John O’Brien, executive chef for the hospital’s food and nutrition department, says each Tuesday, his team gathers at least 250 servings of excess food, packages it and places it into chillers for crews at We Don’t Waste to pick up. We Don’t Waste distributes the food to its partner agencies, which provide it to community food banks and pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and more across the Denver metropolitan area.

“We’ve been donating food to We Don’t Waste since I started working at UCHealth,” O’Brien said. “It’s such a simple way to help people in our community.”

O’Brien says donations usually include breads, proteins, frozen meals, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as sauces and condiments. The goal for both the hospital and We Don’t Waste is to make sure nutritious food that’s still safe to eat is not wasted by being sent to landfills.

According to We Don’t Waste, one in three Coloradans could face food insecurity at some point in their lifetime. Arlan Preblud, executive director of We Don’t Waste, says its partnership with UCHealth and other organizations across Denver are making a substantial impact in reducing hunger. Each year, the organization serves roughly half a million people.

“UCHealth has been an incredible partner to We Don’t Waste and has helped up provide consistent food access to our neighbors experiencing food insecurity across the Denver metro area.” said Preblud. “After ten years of partnership, we can’t even begin to count how many thousands of people we’ve impacted through this food. It provides our neighbors with comfort, health, energy and so much more.”

To learn more about We Don’t Waste, visit their website.