Rather than seeing pasta sauce, overnight oats, or untouched salad fixings go to waste, Marian Regional Medical Center, in partnership with Replate, will reallocate unused food to community organizations that serve individuals facing food insecurity, Marian Food Services Director Kevin Leitner told the Sun.
“This really was initiated by a [California] food recovery bill … SB 1383, and the law basically is supporting or pushing for hospitals or food service operations that are over 100 beds to utilize safe leftover food and redirect it to places in need rather than going to the landfill,” Leitner said.
Dignity Health hospitals, including Marian, partnered with Replate, a food recovery organization, starting Feb. 20. Replate picks up food twice a week and delivers it to the Rescue Mission Alliance Central Coast, previously known as the Central Coast Rescue Mission. With seven pickups, Marian has distributed more than 500 pounds of food, with 75 pounds of food per pickup on average.
By using a food scrap calculator, Leitner estimated that Marian diverts 5,577 net pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the landfill each week. This is equivalent to 5,404 miles driven by a passenger vehicle, or 237 gallons of gas.
“It’s cool because we are going to be documenting this over the next year, and we will be regrouping to see how the plan is going, but so far so good,” Leitner said.
The hospital provides three meals a day to more than 900 people, and this partnership is a tool to allow Marian to “be mindful” of the food it prepares each day.
“We prepare fresh fruit in our cafe with portion cups; if they are a couple days close to expiration and they have been safely cooled, we will give those to the Rescue Mission,” Leitner said. “It’s not leftover salad bar food eaten by staff, … it’s mindful food safe for consumption.”
The Rescue Mission Alliance’s aim is to offer comprehensive assistance in overcoming barriers to healthy and financially secure lives, with addressing malnutrition as one of its goals.
“Why wouldn’t we want to hold hands with someone who supports the same population we support at Marian? It’s just a way for us to reach our hands out to the community and not look inwards as a hospital, but outwards as a Santa Maria Valley,” Leitner said.
The hospital incurs all of the costs through its community benefits budget, which covers the $50 Replate pickup fee, labor and food packing costs, and disposable storage containers and other supplies, he said.
“We want to try to find ways to reach out to the community in need, not just have people come when they’re in need. It’s part of our mission—how can we support our community and reach out to the community to show that we are here for them, and it’s just another way that we are doing that through the Replate program,” Leitner said. “There’s no end in the future for this. … The law was enacted to be a continuous support supplying leftover foods, so I would only see this grow in the future.”
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• The Lompoc Parks and Recreation department is offering lifeguard training in April that will enable participants to become American Red Cross-certified lifeguards. Whether someone is looking for a part-time job or a career as a professional lifeguard, the Lompoc Aquatic Center’s lifeguard training course provides classroom activities, online learning, and hands-on practice to help participants gain the knowledge and skills needed to work as a lifeguard. The comprehensive training covers accident prevention, lifeguarding techniques, emergency systems, water-rescue skills, basic life support (CPR/AED), and first aid. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive American Red Cross certification in lifeguarding, CPR, and first aid. People ages 15 and older can participate. The course, which costs $225, runs April 13, 14, 20, and 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Complete required pre-registration at (805) 875-8100 or at apm.activecommunities.com/lompocrecreation. Register before April 8. Since the class is presented in person and online, a valid email address is required at registration. Participants will receive an email with information on how to access the online component of the course.
Reach Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor at [email protected].
