Ngonyo Reflects on the Surprises of Food Recovery during her AmeriCorps Service at T2T
Table to Table welcomed Ngonyo Mungara to the team in January of 2023 in our final contingent of COVID-19 Recovery AmeriCorps service members. Ngonyo focused on supporting T2T’s daily operations, food rescue routes, free produce stands, and increasing food and vegetable starter plant donations during her half-year term serving in her role of food rescue specialist.
As a student at the University of Iowa majoring in Education Studies and Human Relations with a certificate in Public Health, Ngonyo was drawn to this role at T2T by an interest in learning how nonprofits operate on a day-to-day basis and practice sustainability. “I’ve always been interested in sustainability and reducing waste and I thought food rescue was a really interesting way to help others while also reducing waste,” she says.
Once she completed her service term, she took some time to reflect on her experience in food rescue:
“Serving at T2T taught me so much more about the Iowa City and Johnson County community. I never knew there were so many programs and people in our area dedicated to helping those in need. It also made me happy to learn that many of the businesses I shop at are partnered with Table to Table and are doing their part to reduce food waste and support our community. It has been a pleasure to work with the T2T staff. Everyone here has been so helpful, friendly, and welcoming and it has made my time here so enjoyable. The staff and volunteers here have such a positive and flexible attitude, and that is something that’s needed in this work where each day can be so different.
“My favorite thing about working here was working with different volunteers while filling in on routes. Going on food rescue routes and helping to recover food for people in need while reducing food waste was such rewarding work. While on routes, I had many encounters with our partners where they would tell us how much they love what we’re doing and how happy they are that Table to Table exists. It amazes me that T2T has such a large and dedicated group of volunteers who devote their time to helping support our food rescue efforts. It was a pleasure to get to know volunteers from so many different walks of life and learn why they like volunteering for T2T… You never get bored at Table to Table!
“Towards the end of my service term I started to reach out to the cultural grocery stores in the Johnson County area in the hopes that they will consider donating to Table to Table. Johnson County is becoming an increasingly diverse area and there is a need for more culturally relevant foods in pantries to support these communities. T2T will continue reaching out to these businesses in the future and we hope that we can find ways to get a more diverse selection of food to our recipients.”
To conclude, we asked Ngonyo to tell us about one of her most interesting experiences on a food rescue route. She remembers: “On one food rescue route we accepted shoes from Natural Grocers. I wasn’t sure which partner would take them, but we ended up delivering them to the Salvation Army hot meal and social assistance site.” The situation turned out to be quite serendipitous: “The woman [greeting us to receive donations at the Salvation Army] was so excited that we had shoes and told us there was a man there who had been needing a new pair for a long time now and had been asking for them everyday.”
The world of food rescue is truly unpredictable – We usually just collect food! – but thanks to our donor partners’ creativity in keeping resources from going to waste and our food access partners’ deep engagement with community members, we’re delighted to help match occasional donation surprises with community needs.
We were so grateful to have Ngonyo on the team and appreciate the thoughtfulness, dedication, and knowledge she brought to her role!
Adaptability Through Partnership
This article appears in Table to Table’s 2023 Impact Report.
Unfortunately, an ever-increasing number of neighbors need to turn to food pantries for assistance with getting food on the table, feeling the effects of rising costs due to inflation and significantly reduced SNAP benefits. Johnson County residents visited T2T’s three largest food pantry partners nearly 180,000 times last year (North Liberty Community Pantry, CommUnity Food Bank, and Coralville Community Food Pantry). Typically, they have seen a 15% increase from year to year. In 2023, the need for food more than doubled.
We cannot sing the praises of our partner organizations enough as they are ALL providing more support than ever before. They need more food to meet the higher need, more volunteers to support programs, and more staff to manage these unprecedented changes. We know it takes creativity, flexibility, and extra time and effort to make use of all the food we bring to the door, and they maintain their efforts in spite of the circumstances. We’ve weathered this year together through the strength of our partnerships.
The T2T distribution network delivered several thousand pounds of strawberries to partners across Johnson County on 10 distribution routes in 3 days! This only works if the entire network is ready – from knowing who to call when a donation comes in to lining up volunteers to sort and distribute the food when it arrives. Our quick delivery model and motivated partners are key to our adaptable process.
More large volume donations that required adaptability:
Our donor and recipient partner lists change with the changing needs of the community. Click here for a complete and current list of partners.
Collaborations to Increase Access
This article appears in Table to Table’s 2023 Impact Report.
Table to Table distributed 40,000+ pounds of excess produce harvested from generous local farms, donated directly by farmers and gardeners in our community, and recovered from farmers markets and auctions. We distributed 12,500 pounds of that at 36 free produce stands. We work with the public and 11 key community partners to identify neighborhoods where access to affordable fresh produce is more difficult. Read more about our produce stands and the partners who helped make them happen.
Partner Highlight: Since 2021, Echollective Farm has donated 30,000+ pounds of produce to local nonprofits.
“We truly could not have done this without the support of Table to Table. Having Table to Table’s support in gleaning at our farm as well as giving us one accessible, easy place to donate produce is truly invaluable… When organizations like Table to Table work to give everyone in the community access to freshly grown, Iowa produce – including those who are food insecure – we all benefit!” – Molly Schintler, Echollective Farm
New T2T partner Free Medical Clinic (FMC) serves marginalized neighbors, many of whom are unable to access consistent healthcare for chronic diseases. Now, through T2T deliveries, FMC is offering fresh, nutrient-dense foods recommended to clients by clinic doctors for improved health.
Volunteers are the key to vital connections
This article appears in Table to Table’s 2023 Impact Report.
T2T volunteers truly embody a passion for recovering food and delivering it to our neighbors. Along the way, they develop strong relationships with those who donate and receive the rescued food.
Two best pals who volunteer together on a weekly Saturday morning food rescue route, Cheyenne and Jasmine, chat with produce department staff when they pick up donations. They know each other by name and the employees seek this volunteer pair out each Saturday to make sure they don’t miss any food set aside for donation.
Have we mentioned Mary Palmberg? Well, we’re going to again. Mary is T2T’s longest-serving volunteer, now in her 25th year. Throughout her roles at T2T since 1998, she’s been an ambassador to our community, using every opportunity to promote and garner support for our mission. Mary builds great relationships with food donors, increasing their donations and commitment to our mission. She makes T2T deliveries memorable for recipient agencies and their volunteers, expressing sincere and heartfelt gratitude for their partnership and work.
Dina Janzen has driven T2T’s straight truck to deliver pallets of food for years. “I absolutely love connecting with the people inside the back doors of warehouses, stores, and food pantries every week,” she says. “I find it fascinating to observe how the complex systems that exist to rescue all this food are constantly adapting. My part of this system is simple, but my role feels essential.”
T2T volunteers enjoy forging global connections, too. T2T was fortunate to host Fellows of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders through the University of Iowa’s International Institute for Business for two days this year. Fellows recovered food on routes and gleans alongside T2T volunteers and discussed the innovative work they’re doing in their own communities in countries across Africa – a great learning experience for all involved.
T2T volunteers are essential to retail food rescue, fleet prep, driving our straight truck, office work and data, gleans at farms and orchards, community outreach, free produce stands, and more! Learn how to get involved.
FY23 Financials
July 2022 – June 2023
Expenses: You’ve invested $569,839 to rescue 2.3 million pounds of food, valued at $7,106,336.
Income: $621,981 in community financial support; direct donations from community members like you make up well over half of our operating fund.
Expenses
Programs & Services: $466,295 (82%)
Management: $90,189 (16%)
Fundraising: $13,355 (2%)
Income
Contributions & Events: $370,809 (60%)
Local and State Government Grants: $126,729 (20%)
Private Grants: $59,443 (10%)
United Way: $55,000 (9%)
Restricted Software Funding: $10,000 (2%)
*unaudited financials
