LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - For more than two years, Food Rescue US - Lansing Communities has been reducing food waste after aligning with the national network of Food Rescue US.

Food Rescue US has 49 locations in 24 states and the District of Columbia that provide meals for food-insecure individuals and families, all by volunteers.

Valerie Lafferty is the Site Director with the Lansing branch. She says volunteers go directly to the commercial food donor and bring perishable food, such as produce, baked goods, and meats, to a receiving agency or social service agency.

Lafferty says the network has an app that is used to coordinate pickup and deliveries as well as track the difference the service is making when it comes to food waste, as well as addressing food insecurity.

“We constantly have statistics. We have the carbon offset, the water not wasted because the food never went into the waste stream. So, the app keeps track of all that, but it’s over 500,000 [dollars], is the value for those first three quarters,” Lafferty said.

Through the end of September, the volunteers have “rescued” 266,356 pounds of food, delivered 221,963 meals, offset 1.2 million pounds of CO2eq, and nearly 40 million gallons of water.

Lafferty says work throughout the week and on both holidays and weekends as they try and work to a food bank’s or a service’s hours.

One place Food Rescue US - Lansing Communities has delivered to is LMTS Community Outreach Services.

On Wednesday, the service’s director, Joshua Gillespie, spoke at a press conference on the importance of feeding the hungry once Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits dry up in November.

“Every single day, right here in our community, we have children who go to school hungry. Seniors who silently skip a meal. Families who have the daunting task of deciphering ‘if I’m going to pay rent or buy groceries,’” Gillespie said.