Columbus Food Rescue

Emphatic reminder that food system work is climate work. No particular reason.

(Thanks to Way Farms LLC for this gorgeous donation of field-fresh produce! 🥒 We were able to split it among three receiving agencies this afternoon.)

With all the magic CFR delivers every day, even we can’t turn back time—and the truth is, this work is far from complete. We continue to show up—and we’re so grateful that our food donors, receiving agency partners, and volunteers are just as committed. Every day, our rescues and our work take small steps toward the structural changes that a sustainable, equitable, livable future requires.💚

Major thanks to the team at Habaneros in Clintonville for ensuring that these six full pans of chicken, perfectly safe but not quite right for their recipe, could be enjoyed by community members instead of going in the trash! 😍

It was a joy to help this delicious protein go to an organization that would serve it. And we loved hearing about this location’s partnership with other groups to share meals with their unsheltered neighbors every winter.

The staff had asked customers for help finding a solution to this almost-wasted food—and we’re honored that the customers suggested us!

Serving Franklin County Habaneros Fresh Mexican Grill

In case you missed it: Saturday kitchen shifts are back! Here are a few glimpses of the RK volunteers at work yesterday afternoon, helping Chef Avery transform some diced potatoes and ginger chicken meatballs from Muirfield into oodles and oodles of chicken potato soup to share with the community next week. 🍲😍 Thanks for the photos, hinal !

And if you want to join a Ro’s Kitchen shift yourself, sign up at the linktree in our bio!

Serving Franklin County

That’s a wrap on rescues from the 2026 Memorial Tournament! ⛳️ We filled and emptied the CFR van four times in the last five days—plus a few other volunteers’ vehicles—and we delivered the surplus produce, deli meat, yogurt, cookies, etc. to FOURTEEN different organizations around the city.

Thanks so much to Muirfield Village Golf Club and Cameron Mitchell Premier Events for helping ensure these multiple tons of food will go to those who need them, not into the garbage!

Serving Franklin County

It’s such a joy to collaborate with other orgs working to ensure all our neighbors have access to fresh, healthy food! This week, some surplus greens harvested from the Food Leads garden will join other rescued ingredients to create delicious Ro’s Kitchen meals. 💚

Big thanks to Christina, Chefs Brian and Avery, and everyone else in this food justice ecosystem!

We’re still rescuing.

The loss of Local Matters is and will be a devastating blow to the Columbus community. We are also super-grateful that we were able, with the support of their leadership, to find a safe landing-place to continue the work of CFR and Ro’s Kitchen, in the van and in the kitchen and beyond. More details to come, but we just wanted to reassure you all: we’re still rescuing.

Whew—thanks, Kim, for rescuing these 1,000 pounds of surplus produce from a community giveaway last week! 🥬🥒 We’re so grateful to our partners for helping keep this food in the community instead of the landfill!