Vanderbilt Campus Dining is dedicated to both sustainability and supporting our neighbors here in Middle Tennessee. Through our surplus food donation program, we have established partnerships with various local non-profit organizations, ensuring excess food from our dining halls reaches those in need in the Nashville community – food that would otherwise go to waste.
Each week, suitable leftover food from meal preparations is set aside for donation. There’s no fixed commitment to the amount donated; it fluctuates based on the surplus available. Rather than allowing this excess food to go to waste or be composted, we find a way to donate it to those who need it.
Rand Dining Center partners with Room in the Inn, donating approximately 50-70 meals worth of food every Thursday. That equates to approximately 20 pounds of food per donation including proteins, starches, and vegetables!
The Kitchen at Kissam contributes donates surplus food to Operation Stand Down. Every Monday morning, Kissam provide a substantial amount of prepared food, such as casseroles or chickpea cakes, to support the organization’s mission.
We recently began our relationship with The Cookery and had our team at the Commons Dining Hall prepare donations for the organization. We are excited to continue working with The Cookery and provide our surplus food stock to them!
Additionally, Campus Dining works with the following local non-profit organizations on an occasional basis to provide food donations:
The impact of Vanderbilt Campus Dining’s surplus food donation program extends beyond just providing meals. It embodies a commitment to sustainability, as it significantly reduces food waste generated by Campus Dining operations. Moreover, it fosters a sense of community by supporting local non-profits that work tirelessly to address food insecurity in Nashville.