Food For All NYC wins Rep. Jerry Nadler’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s 12th District

When asked what inspired the creation of Food For All NYC, the student said, “The inspiration behind creating the Food For All NYC app is deeply rooted in my personal experiences and a strong commitment to addressing food waste and food insecurity. It all began with a simple observation in my high school cafeteria, where there was a table designated for students to place untouched food. What struck me as wasteful was the fact that, by the end of the day, all this perfectly good food was being thrown away due to school policy.

This realization led me to take action. Over the past three years, I played a pivotal role in founding a school club dedicated to rescuing this surplus food and donating it to those in need every week. Through my active involvement in this club, I had the opportunity to witness firsthand the sheer quantity of food that would have otherwise gone to waste. This first-hand experience fueled my passion for combating food waste and food insecurity.

As the club’s current president, I recognized the immense potential to expand the positive impact we were making within the walls of our school. It was this vision that inspired me to create the Food For All NYC app. This platform serves as a means to scale up the club’s efforts, extending its reach beyond the confines of our school and into the broader community of New York City. The app aims to connect not just schools but a wide range of organizations, such as restaurants, delis, grocery stores, events planners, food banks, food pantries, food rescue programs, and nonprofit organizations, to effectively address the critical issue of food insecurity, making a more significant and lasting impact on the community. The core motivation behind the app lies in my dedication to reducing food waste and ensuring that no one goes hungry in the midst of plenty.”