At River Valley Charities, we know that every week some organizations have more food than they can distribute while others are short on certain items. While partners already order and source food through food banks and other suppliers, there isn’t an easy, structured way for food programs in our region to share surplus with each other or to signal small, immediate needs that another partner might be able to meet.
This Food Sharing Pilot is not an ordering platform, but a simple, peer-to-peer tool. It’s meant to test whether sharing information about abundance and shortfalls can reduce waste, help food move more quickly, and support partners in real time.
Research shows that real-time collaboration and sharing networks—not just centralized distribution—can help reduce waste, keep perishable food moving, and get fresh produce into the hands of families faster.
We are grateful to you for giving this pilot a try — and we welcome your feedback along the way so we can make improvements together.
How it works:
Note on TEFAP items
This pilot is intended for donated, purchased, or otherwise non-federal foods. TEFAP items may not be transferred between agencies outside of established channels. If you have TEFAP surplus, please follow your regular procedures.
Thank you for helping us test this pilot. With your input, we’ll learn together if this tool can become a lasting way to strengthen our local food network.
Questions/comments? Email [email protected]
This Food Sharing Pilot is not an ordering platform, but a simple, peer-to-peer tool. It’s meant to test whether sharing information about abundance and shortfalls can reduce waste, help food move more quickly, and support partners in real time.
Research shows that real-time collaboration and sharing networks—not just centralized distribution—can help reduce waste, keep perishable food moving, and get fresh produce into the hands of families faster.
We are grateful to you for giving this pilot a try — and we welcome your feedback along the way so we can make improvements together.
How it works:
- Post what you have or need → Use this form to share if your program has an abundance or if you have a shortfall that another local partner might be able to help with. This is not a replacement for ordering food from your regular sources (food bank, suppliers, TEFAP, etc.), but a simple way to connect directly with one another.
- View available items → Check the Abundance List to see what others have posted as available.
- View needed items→ Check the Needs List to see what other partners are requesting from one another.
- Removing an entry → At this point, we'd ask you simply email us to delete a listing. We’ll explore a more efficient solution as we refine the system.
- Subscribe for updates → Click here to sign up for email updates pushed to your inbox each time a new surplus is posted.
Note on TEFAP items
This pilot is intended for donated, purchased, or otherwise non-federal foods. TEFAP items may not be transferred between agencies outside of established channels. If you have TEFAP surplus, please follow your regular procedures.
Thank you for helping us test this pilot. With your input, we’ll learn together if this tool can become a lasting way to strengthen our local food network.
Questions/comments? Email [email protected]
