AUSTIN, TEXAS – In honor of Hunger Action Month this September, Whole Foods Market has launched a new program called Nourishing our Neighborhoods created to expand capacity and capability for community-based food rescue organizations to move food from where it’s available to where it’s needed most. 

Whole Foods Market is donating the funds to purchase 19 refrigerated vans, and donating two refrigerated catering vans, to community-based food rescue and redistribution programs to transport both perishable and nonperishable food to communities within 18 markets across the United States and Canada. 

The vans will provide recipient organizations with 20,000 pounds of rescued food per week per vehicle, donated from Whole Foods Market and surrounding grocers and retailers — a total of 182 million pounds over the 10-year life span of each van. 

“Nourishing our communities is a priority at Whole Foods Market, especially in these challenging times,” said Rob Twyman, executive vice president of operations at Whole Foods Market. “We’re proud to put forth a food redistribution solution to reduce food waste and provide both perishable and nonperishable nourishing foods to our communities.”