Food Rescue and Distribution

In response to the issue of hunger in central Fort Wayne, Heart of the City has developed longstanding relationships with area restaurants that have designated our organization as a distributor for their unsold products. Six days a week, Heart of the City's Food Rescue Program secures overstocked and surplus food from Cheddar’s, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster, 4 Starbucks, 2 Chick-Fil-A's, Logan’s Roadhouse, Panera, 3 KFC’s, Little Caesars, Rise N’ Roll and Prairie Farms milk. We are also blessed with overstock and clearance health and wellness items from 30 local CVS stores. We pick up from 6-8 stores each week.

Heart of the City seeks to improve overall health and wellness by reducing food insecurity. Our Food Rescue Coordinator dedicates 40 hours per week for food pick-up and distribution. We travel to each business and receive their surplus food that would typically be discarded. Then we distribute these restaurant-quality foods to those in need. Heart of the City is able to distribute or deliver over 600 pounds of food every week. 100% of the families we serve are living at or below the USDA poverty guidelines, so it is vital to continue to serve our community in this way.

Heart of the City is currently challenged by an abundance of opportunities that is nearly overwhelming our organization. We are inundated with restaurants seeking our food rescue services. We are partnering with restaurant chains that require pick up of their overstocked food at 9:00 each night. Heart of the City has dedicated staff who are willing to visit the restaurants at this hour and deliver the product to our refrigerator facility on Cass Street late at night. Compounding the issue, our refrigerators and freezers are constantly at full capacity. 

Because we are dedicated to fighting food insecurity in our community, we are thankful for every opportunity that comes to Heart of the City. We will stretch and grow to accommodate each new restaurant that seeks to partner with our organization.

Throughout 2024 our Food Rescue Program continued to grow. Heart of the City is recognized as a trusted distributor for restaurants seeking an outlet for their overstocked and surplus food. Heart of the City is intentional in sharing our bounty with other area nonprofits including recovery homes and homeless shelters.