This class pushed us outside our comfort zones to go out and speak to the community, extend the olive branch and listen to the experts.

For obvious reasons this was an incredibly daunting task, but it was necessary to truly understand the perspectives we needed for our innovations.

Our group got in contact with many people throughout the city, including organizations who receive and redistribute food, low waste restaurants, local grocery stores, sustainability experts and of course city council.

Through the dinner we were able to meet with a lot more people, and actually discuss our innovation in person and get real unfiltered feedback. At the dinner was Kristi Peters Snider, I did not meet her however members of my group did. She also attended our final presentations and provided some great feedback.

Now to the main point of this post, people are still keeping the conversation going.

Kristi sent me an email the other day with an article she thought I would be interested in about  how, “Grocery stores could be donating way more food”. (https://newfoodeconomy.org/harvard-food-safety-code-report-grocery-store-waste-donations/)

The article talks about how grocery stores aren’t given much leeway on how and what to donate, and because of food safety and liability. So, most grocery stores just don’t donate. “Businesses get very little official or consistent guidance and ultimately, are discouraged from donating at all.”

I recommend reading the article, am and excited that even though the class is done I’m still able to keep in contact and continue with the innovation.