EFFORT is a small organization comprised of students from the University of Scranton working in conjunction with the Center for Service and Social Justice. EFFORT, or “Excess Food For Others Recovery Team,” is attempting to begin a movement against hunger and for poverty awareness, both on our campus and in the surrounding area. Our purpose is to build relationships with Scranton students and dining services, companies, and corporations in the attempt to salvage leftover food and donate it to those in need in the Scranton community. By valuing justice and solidarity among all people, our hope is to create social change for the benefit of our neighbors in need.

Students Jessica Wagner and Mike Wiencek bring Effort donations in to be distributed to various agencies

We currently pick up food donations from Panera Bread in Dickson City and Moosic PA, along with Price Chopper Supermarkets in Taylor PA.  Food is donated to local food pantries such as St. Paul's/St. Clare's Church in Green Ridge, as well as Safety Net and Friends of the Poor.

If you or your company would like us to pick up food donations or you are a student wishing to be a part of this organization, please contact EFFORTteam@gmail.com

Aquinas Article

Group sets forth 'efforts' to expand
ASHLEY TEATUM
MANAGING EDITOR
March 12, 2009 issue

EFFORT — Excess Food for Others Recovery Team — plans to host new activities and gain a greater membership this semester.

With Aroma and Bagelwich on board, the range of places EFFORT delivers leftovers to has expanded to include the United Neighborhood Center and the St. Francis of Assisi Soup Kitchen.

Additionally, EFFORT has worked with Dining Services and the Fresh Food Company, the two food providers on The University’s campus, to save food that was previously being wasted.

“I’m grateful for their constant openness to new ideas and support of EFFORT,” DiColli said.

One of those new ideas is a “plate scrape,” where members of EFFORT will go into the kitchen, and as the conveyor belt brings in used plates from breakfast, lunch and dinner, they will scrape the leftovers from the plates into clear trash bags to be on display. DiColli hopes this will help students realize their role in food wasting.EFFORT will also host a series of “Share a Swipe” days — March 11, April 8 and May 13. On these days, students with meal plans (except the unlimited plan) can donate a lunch or dinner swipe.

However, as much as the coalition hopes to accomplish this semester, some of its resources are severely lacking.

When members collect food from donors like the cafeteria or Panera, the students have only their refrigerators in their residence halls and houses to keep the food fresh before delivery.

“If we happen to have a food donation that needs to be refrigerated, such as the leftover cheese, lunchmeat and meatballs that EFFORT picked up from the Scranton Civic Ballet last December, we usually rally together and store the food in the refrigerators of EFFORT’s members,” DiColli said.

Additionally, with a small, but determined, group of students, there can only be so many deliveries made — not every student owns a car in Scranton.

Recently, EFFORT has learned of a grant available through Education for Justice, a Catholic organization that provides resources to promote “Catholic social teaching.”

“The next step would be to apply for a grant so that EFFORT can have a reliable refrigeration system of our own and can therefore expand the amount of perishable donations we can receive,” DiColli said.

To join EFFORT — either as a donor, a driver or a member – contact the team at EFFORTteam@gmail.com.