This story first appeared in the Spring 2025 edition of our “Peas & Carrots” newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here.

In 2024, we rescued more than four million pounds of food, a calendar year record. For our Food Rescue & Transportation team, growth has become the norm.

A variety of factors contribute to this program’s growth, according to our Food Rescue & Transportation Director Jon Meinert. “The longer we’re around, the more popular we become. I don’t often run into someone who hasn’t heard of Second Helpings.”

It’s now an industry standard to have a food rescue plan in place for venues and events – and in central Indiana that plan often includes Second Helpings. Collectively, everyone is more responsible on food waste, Meinert explained. “People are realizing the environmental impact of food waste, not just the sales lost from unused food.”

To help meet this growth, we’ve added an additional box truck to our fleet. This additional vehicle allows the flexibility needed to accommodate large donations and keep up with our largest wholesale partners.

Now is a perfect time to volunteer with our Food Rescue & Meal Delivery team. “We need more hands to keep up with this growth,” Meinert said. “We’re distributing more meals to partners across seven counties, rescuing from more places, and providing more kinds of meals than we used to.”

If you’ve never volunteered as a Driver or Driver Companion on a food rescue or meal delivery route, both volunteer opportunities are a great chance to see different parts of the city and the full circle of Second Helpings’ mission – loading food rescued from a grocery store, and delivering the completed meal to an emergency shelter or after-school program.

What makes a great volunteer driver? You need a clean driving record, a passion for Second Helpings’ mission, and be ready to be a reliable and friendly representative with our partners.

Plus, you get to work with our incredible team. “Our Food Rescue team is like a Swiss Army knife,” Meinert shared. “Everyone is trained in every area. We build relationships with our volunteers and we all work together to make it happen.”

Interested in joining the team? Learn more and sign up at secondhelpings.org/drive.