Another Dining Services Meeting

Emily and I met with Mike McGuckin and Chef Werner from Dining Services this morning to discuss the possible applications of the Food Recovery Bill we proposed to the University Senate Mission & Social Justice Committee last month.

Our conversation with them revealed that they already do several things to reduce and reuse excess food and donate when possible. They said that their donations most often happen right before breaks, when they offer any perishables (produce, dairy, unused samples, etc.) to Philabundance and Chef John's Kitchen. They also assured us that they do whatever they can to limit leftovers or reincorporate them into the next day's dishes. Finally, they told us that they have donated non-food items like kitchen equipment and tables to places like Chef John's Kitchen in the past.

We told them we would like to investigate any possibilities for furthering their donation efforts by recovering any of the packaged salads, sandwiches, etc., and sending them along with existing trips (Campus Ministry's, or perhaps the Nursing Program's, too) to be brought to soup kitchens or other places that could use them. Mike suggested that Dining Services could also possibly donate non-food equipment to some of these institutions, too.

However, before any of this happens, we need to get some more information on a few things. Chef Werner was concerned about the training and health and safety conditions of any donation recipients, but we gave him a copy of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act (the one we showed you at the Social Justice Committee meeting), and explained that food given in good faith is exempt from liability. Nonetheless, Chef Werner and Mike also wanted to know about the storage and refrigeration capacities of possible donation recipients, in addition to how many people they serve, where they are located, and who the contact people would be.

We really want to follow through on this project and do whatever we can to make sure everyone is well-fed, so we are seeking advice and further information from Will Stehl of Campus Ministry and senior Nursing major and student representative from the Mission & Social Justice Committee, Anna Menard.

Meanwhile, we have also requested additional information on where Dining Services sources its food. We have a short list of some of the providers, which include US Foodservice, Wawa Dairy, Cooper Booth.