History

Three Chefs, Kristen Cordoza, Bob Koch, and Jean Paison, got together to talk about the food service industry and their community.

They saw firsthand the tremendous amount of waste in the food service industry. At the same time, they were acutely aware that most programs serving the disadvantaged often struggled to provide for their clients’ most basic nutritional needs.

As food service professionals, they knew just how difficult it was to find employees with the skills needed to be productive in a commercial kitchen. Yet they also knew that many adults struggled in poverty and low-wage jobs because they lacked the basic skills that would allow them to earn more and build a career.

So the three Chefs set forth to solve all four problems—food waste, hunger, job training, and a source of skilled labor for the local food service industry—with one solution: turn unused food into meals and jobs.

Second Helpings was born in Spring 1998. In our first full month of operation, 37 volunteers helped rescue 7,000 pounds of food and prepare 3,074 meals.

Thanks to our founders, partners, board, staff, and volunteers, we have grown beyond anyone’s expectations: Second Helpings currently transforms more than 300,000 pounds of rescued food into more than 85,000 meals each month.