Fresh Rescue Program

Through the Fresh Rescue Program, the New Hampshire Food Bank partners with grocery stores, wholesalers, and retailers across the state to recover fresh, surplus food that is still safe and nutritious but can no longer be sold. Instead of going to waste, these products are redirected into New Hampshire’s hunger-relief network where they can be used quickly to support individuals and families facing food insecurity. Fresh Rescue allows high-quality items such as produce, dairy, meat, bakery products, and prepared foods to reach communities while they are still fresh and usable.

 

Are you a retailer or restaurant looking to donate food? Join Meal Connect. 

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By The Numbers

How It Works

The program works in two ways: some donations are brought back to the NH Food Bank for sorting and use in our internal programs, while other donations are collected directly by local partner agencies, allowing food to reach communities even faster.

Many Fresh Rescue donations are collected directly from retail stores by local partner agencies. The New Hampshire Food Bank coordinates these partnerships, enabling agencies to safely recover surplus food from stores in their own communities.

This model helps keep food closer to where it was donated, allowing items to reach people more quickly while they are still at peak freshness. It also strengthens relationships between retailers and the communities they serve.

Across New Hampshire, hundreds of retail locations—including grocery stores, wholesale clubs, and specialty markets—participate in Fresh Rescue, helping ensure that good food feeds people rather than going to waste.

Distributing Fresh Rescue Donations

Supporting Our Culinary Job Training Program

A portion of Fresh Rescue donations are brought directly to the NH Food Bank where they support our Culinary Job Training Program. In this program, students gain hands-on kitchen and workforce skills while preparing large, nutritious meals for distribution throughout the Food Bank’s network. Recovered foods such as produce, proteins, and dairy are transformed into ready-to-serve meals that are shared with partner agencies across the state. This approach allows us to maximize the value of donated food while also supporting job training opportunities for individuals seeking careers in the food service industry.

Sorted & Distributed to 400+ Partner Agencies

Some Fresh Rescue donations are transported back to the NH Food Bank warehouse where they are sorted, inspected, and prepared for distribution to our network of more than 400 partner agencies.

Once received, products are organized so that agencies can access them through regular Food Bank distributions. This allows food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, and community programs across New Hampshire to offer fresh items that might otherwise be difficult to source. By centralizing some of these donations, the Food Bank helps ensure quality control, safe handling, and equitable access across the statewide network.

A Smarter, Compliant Way to Manage Food Waste

New Hampshire’s food waste law (RSA 149-M:27.V) reinforces a clear expectation: safe, unsold food should be directed to people whenever possible. The Fresh Rescue program, coordinated by the New Hampshire Food Bank, provides retailers with a trusted, compliant, and documented pathway to meet this requirement without adding operational burden to store teams.

Through our partnership, stores can rely on a consistent system where eligible food is safely recovered, properly tracked, and redirected to local communities while maintaining clear documentation and confidence in their food recovery process.

Interested in becoming a Fresh Rescue Retail Partner?

Join Today!

 

 

Join a growing network of stores reducing waste and strengthening their communities.

Fresh Rescue Retail Support Includes:

  • Full program setup & coordination
    We handle onboarding, assign trained partner agencies, establish pickup schedules, and ensure consistent coverage with no overlap or gaps.
  • In-store training & program setup
    Our team works directly with your staff to train, set up donation areas, and integrate Fresh Rescue into your daily operations—so your team doesn’t have to build the process from scratch.
  • Verified compliance
    All partners are approved 501(c)(3) organizations operating under Feeding America food safety and reporting standards.
  • MealConnect reporting & tax documentation
    Donations are tracked through Feeding America’s national platform, supporting enhanced tax deductions and accurate, auditable records.
  • Food safety & handling standards
    Proper food safety and handling protocols are required and maintained by all agents.
  • Dedicated support with one point of contact
    We handle coordination and serve as your direct contact for any issues, adjustments, or questions.
  • Impact reporting & recognition
    Stores receive donation metrics, annual acknowledgements, and opportunities for community engagement.

Become a retail partner today!

 

Interested in volunteering?

Every day, the NH Food Bank trucks bring back a variety of frozen foods that need to be sorted into categories. Volunteers involved in this process inspect the food for any signs of contamination or damaged packaging and sort all the good product into boxes that we can distribute to Food Bank agencies. This task requires some bending, lifting, and standing for the duration of the activity.

Learn More