412 Food Rescue rescues surplus food from grocery stores, restaurants, wholesalers, and farms, then delivers it to people experiencing food insecurity throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Anyone in the Pittsburgh area who needs food support is welcome to come.
First-time visitors will be asked a few questions and entered into their system before receiving food.
If you're looking for food distribution partners near you, their Food Access Resources page keeps an updated list of sites across Western PA along with community resource hotlines.
The food available changes with each rescue and much of it is very fresh or close to expiration, since 412 Food Rescue picks it up directly from donors and moves it quickly. Checking dates on perishables before you leave is a good idea. You'll have a better selection if you visit earlier in the week and earlier in the day.
About 87% of what 412 Food Rescue recovers is fresh food, primarily produce, meat, dairy, and bread. The items on hand change frequently, but past visitors have received avocados, potatoes, milk, eggs, bread, cereal, oatmeal, frozen pizzas, canned soups, canned beans, and other shelf-stable goods.
This is a choice-based distribution: you fill out a form and check the boxes next to the items you'd like. Wait times are typically short.
For neighbors who are isolated or lack transportation and physical mobility, 412 Food Rescue runs a Home Delivery program. Volunteer drivers use the 412 Food Rescue app to pick up prepared food boxes from partner nonprofits and deliver them directly to households. To find out more, reach out at (412) 277-3831 or info@412foodrescue.org.
Their Good Food Project, located at 112 E Sherman Street in Millvale, turns surplus donations into healthy, frozen heat-and-eat meals and packaged grocery bags. Over 500 grocery bags are distributed each week to Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh locations across the region.
Businesses with surplus food can call (412) 277-3831 or submit a food donation form online. Note that the dispatch line and online form are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Financial contributions can be made at their donate page. Donors receive an annual report with information for tax deductions.
Volunteers are called Food Rescue Heroes. Download the 412 Food Rescue app on iOS or Android to claim food rescue routes near you. Rescues run seven days a week across seven counties in Western PA and each one takes about 30 minutes. You can also volunteer at the Good Food Project kitchen in Millvale (no formal kitchen training needed, must be at least 16 years old). To sign up for Good Food Project shifts, visit their volunteer schedule. For community ambassador opportunities or office support, email info@412foodrescue.org.
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