Sodexo makes food recovery in higher ed the norm, not the exception

Food Recovery Network (FRN) unites students on college campuses to fight food waste and hunger by recovering perishable food that would otherwise go to waste from the dining hall. This is the largest student-led movement fighting food waste and working to end hunger in America.

In May 2013, the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation invested in FRN, providing enough funding to hire full time staff and transition the grassroots, student-led initiative into the nationwide non-profit that it is today.

Now, the Food Recovery Network has chapters on college and university campuses in 46 states and D.C. making higher education the first sector where food recovery is the norm and not the exception.

The Loyola University Food Recovery Network chapter was founded in April of 2019.

For the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters at Loyola University, FRN was able to recover 7,183.406 pounds of food to the New Orleans Mission.

The Loyola University chapter was also awarded Student Organization of the Year and Student Organization Grant Recipient at the Magis Awards Ceremony last month.

The Magis Awards Ceremony is a ceremonial salute to University excellence.

"We would like to thank the Loyola University New Orleans Student Government Association, for recognizing our hard work and dedication, Loyola Dining for their support in helping us diminish food waste on Loyola's campus, New Orleans Mission for being our food partner and allowing us to donate our food to their shelter, and finally a huge thanks our members who work five nights a week to diminish food waste and food insecurity in New Orleans,” said Baylee Robichaux, president of Loyola Chapter of the FRN, Loyola University Class of 2023, B.S. Biological Sciences, Pre-Health.

“We are so proud to have created such an impact throughout our community and to have such a successful year maintaining Food Recovery Network mission: Fight Waste, Feed People," Robichaux said.