Michelle Reining

Background

About Michelle Reining

I am the Executive Director at Vancouver Food Runners (VFR), a Canadian registered charity and Metro Vancouver food recovery organization. VFR uses innovative app technology, powered by Food Rescue Hero, and a team of volunteer drivers to redirect surplus food from 140+ food businesses to 140+ nonprofit partners. VFR plays a critical role in supporting Metro Vancouver nonprofits with their essential community food programming as well as providing all food businesses in Metro Vancouver with a free, accessible, and flexible way to donate their healthy surplus food. The VFR app is an end-to-end system that matches food donors to nonprofit beneficiaries and mobilizes a community of volunteers to efficiently and cost-effectively transport surplus food between locations. Once there is a “match” between a food donation and a nonprofit partner that would like to receive it, the app alerts nearby volunteers of the available “rescue” opportunity. The app guides volunteers through the rescue, providing built-in navigation and delivery verification, so volunteers can easily complete their food rescue. Since March 2020, VFR volunteers have delivered 5+ million pounds of food (4.1+ million equivalent meals), and this has mitigated 7+ million pounds of CO2eq from the environment. VFR’s free food recovery program is scaling rapidly in Metro Vancouver to meet the demand from both food businesses and nonprofits. Learn more through the following resources: Website: Program video: https://youtu.be/OgyCG8zI-ms?si=pI4td8A0W2lpUWl2 Volunteer video: https://youtu.be/hzu3GrAcoyY?si=Ndk5jhVn1N1Qa2TK 2024 Annual Report: https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6748960f247a9c474f4b89d0/68236a7bfe1738839e7a969a__VFR%202024%20Annual%20Report%20_compressed.pdf My background is also in research, policy, and advocacy, and I am passionate about advancing policy and program solutions to increase equitable food access, reduce poverty, and support sustainable practices in the food sector. I co-chair the Vancouver Food Policy Council; I am a steering committee member of the Vancouver Food Justice Coalition; and I am an advisor for the City of Vancouver Circular Food Innovation Lab-2.