Episode 58: Moving For Hunger
About the Podcast
Adam Lowy’s family has owned a moving company in New Jersey for nearly 100 years. After seeing so much food wasted when people move, Adam decided to take action. In 2009, he created Move For Hunger’s network of socially-responsible relocation companies providing their customers, clients, and residents with the opportunity to donate their food when they move. Hear more about Adam’s team’s innovative ideas in this episode!
About Adam Lowy
Adam Lowy founded Move For Hunger in the summer of 2009. Adam’s family has owned a moving company in New Jersey for nearly 100 years (dating back to Great Grandpa Lowy). After years of seeing so much food wasted when people move, Adam decided to take action. Move For Hunger’s network of socially-responsible relocation companies provides their customers, clients, and residents with the opportunity to donate their food when they move. Members of Move For Hunger also volunteer to host/assist with community food drives, participate in cause marketing campaigns, and create employee giving programs. Since 2009, we have delivered more than 22 million pounds of food to food banks across the United States and Canada. That’s the equivalent of 18 million meals.
Adam proudly represents the New York City Hub of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community. In 2011, he became a Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellow and was honored at the VH1 Do Something Awards for his commitment to creating social change. Adam was also honored in Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Food & Drink category in 2014.
Discussion Takeaways
- Donating food to those who need it should not be hard. Adam’s organization is working to make it much easier.
- 35% of the food produced in the US ends up in a landfill, and 42 million people are going hungry. Adam’s network of moving companies strives to solve both these issues.
- Getting rid of food and nutrient insecurity should be about much more than just providing people food. It’s about getting people out of poverty.
- We need to consider what resources for-profit companies have and how to better leverage them in the food security arena.
- Organizations can change their standard operating procedure to do good for their community. These processes can also be good for business. For instance, moving services can move their customer’s food, that would have probably been thrown away, to their local food bank. This option reduces food waste, increases nutrient security, and can feed into a company’s corporate social responsibility plans.
- Adam’s partners’ moving trucks are localizing the food supply chain.
- Be smart about using the food you have, regardless of your income level! Ugly fruits and vegetables need a home. Freeze food, and eat leftovers.
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Each week on the Food Dignity® Podcast, the Food Dignity® Movement's Clancy Harrison hosts a wide variety of hunger experts and other people making changes on the frontlines. Join us as we dive deep into conversations that will change the way you think about food insecurity.
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