JACKSONVILLE, Fla \u2013 In a country where millions of people struggle to put food on the table, tens of billions of pounds of food are wasted every year. But in Northeast Florida, one organization is working to change that\u2014making sure perfectly good food ends up where it\u2019s needed most.<\/p>\n
This week\u2019s PositivelyJAX winner shines on Waste Not Want Not.<\/p>\n
Inside their workspace, the mission is in motion. Tables are lined with fresh produce, bread, and prepared meals. Volunteers move quickly\u2014sorting, organizing, and preparing food for distribution.<\/p>\n
Every item here has been rescued. Picked up from local grocery stores, restaurants, and other partners, the food is brought in by volunteers and then sent right back out to the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just absolutely hate to see somebody throwing away something that somebody else can use,\u201d said volunteer Linda Boyd. \u201cAll we have to do is save it and give it back.\u201d<\/p>\n
The variety is wide-ranging\u2014tomatoes, cauliflower, lettuce, and more. Food that might have otherwise gone to waste is instead redirected to people facing hunger.<\/p>\n
Throughout the day, community partners arrive\u2014loading their vehicles with supplies that will go straight to food pantries, shelters, and outreach programs across 14 counties.<\/p>\n
For many, the impact goes far beyond a meal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a lifesaver right here,\u201d said a partner from Riverside Tradition House. \u201cThis literally keeps some of them from picking up a bottle\u2026 absolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n
The need is significant. Across Northeast Florida, nearly one in five people are experiencing chronic hunger\u2014a number that continues to climb.<\/p>\n
That growing demand is driving expansion efforts.<\/p>\n
Just down the road, the organization\u2019s main facility\u2014nicknamed \u201cthe castle\u201d\u2014is undergoing a major transformation. Renovations will bring expanded space, upgraded rooms, and commercial-grade refrigeration, allowing the team to store more food and serve more families.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe food insecurity rate continues to climb, so the demand for our services continues to increase,\u201d said Executive Director Kathleen Spears.<\/p>\n
While construction continues, operations haven\u2019t slowed. The team is currently working out of a temporary location\u2014but their mission remains the same.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a dream come true for the organization,\u201d Spears said.<\/p>\n
From volunteers sorting donations to partners delivering meals across the region, Waste Not Want Not is ensuring that food doesn\u2019t go to waste\u2014and more importantly, that neighbors don\u2019t go hungry.<\/p>\n
The organization is always looking for volunteers and community partners to support its work.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"JACKSONVILLE, Fla \u2013 In a country where millions of people struggle to put food on the table, tens…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556296,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4,450,451,21035,3,452,453,247084],"class_list":["post-556295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-headlines","tag-morning-show","tag-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories","tag-wastnotwantnot"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556295\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}