🥕 From Waste to Worth: Lloyd’s Food Waste Prevention Week Was a Feast of Impact

What if we could feed people, not landfills? That was the driving question behind Food Waste Prevention Week in Lloyd, and the answer came in the form of rescued ingredients, deep conversations, and delicious meals. Over the course of just a few days, our community turned food waste into food justice—and shared plenty of laughs and learning along the way.

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🍽️ Cooking for Good: Meal-Making at Milk Crate Kitchen

In just three hours, 10 incredible volunteers joined us at Milk Crate Kitchen to turn surplus food into something beautiful: 150+ hot, nourishing meals for neighbors in need. The menu? Creamy polenta, turkey meatballs, and a hearty tomato veggie marinara—all created with rescued ingredients for just $15 total.

This hands-on session wasn’t just about cooking—it was about connection. Each meal served was a tangible act of care, and a powerful reminder of how simple solutions can fight food insecurity and climate change at the same time.

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🧠 Learn + Lunch: A Bold Conversation on Upcycling and Access

Our Lunch & Learn brought together over 30 community members who enjoyed a zero-waste, rescued-ingredient lunch while diving into the logistics and ethics of food recovery. Hosted in collaboration with Bold Reuse, the session spotlighted:

• How surplus food can be safely redirected
• The power of upcycled ingredients in meal programs
• The intersection of waste prevention, equity, and innovation

It wasn’t just informative—it was delicious and eye-opening.

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🌎 Building Systems of Change

Food Waste Prevention Week was more than events—it was a launchpad for neighborhood-scale action. Here’s what else we accomplished:

• 🥫 Spotlighted Right 2 Dream Too’s free community fridge
• ☀️ Facilitated the donation of a solar-powered food digester to a community garden
• 📣 Distributed food waste prevention resources to 25 Lloyd businesses and restaurants
• 📄 Developed a resource list to help Portlanders reduce food waste at home, at work, and in their networks

👉 Link to Resource Guide is Here!

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🚀 What’s Next?

Our work is just beginning. With rising food costs, climate challenges, and community need, reducing waste is no longer optional—it’s essential. Lloyd EcoDistrict will continue to:

• Partner with groups like Milk Crate Kitchen and Bold Reuse
• Explore more food rescue and upcycling opportunities
• Connect businesses with sustainable practices
• Educate residents through hands-on workshops and toolkits

🍴 Got surplus food to share? Want to sponsor our next round of meals? Let’s chat.

Together, we’re cooking up change.