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FIU students collected a record 47,100 pounds of food during this year’s food rescue effort at the 2012 Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
As a result, 31,000 meals were delivered to social welfare institutions in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties such as Love Thy Neighbor, Cooperative Feeding, The Soup Kitchen and Camillus House, among others.
“Much of the food rescued at the festival was already prepared,” said John Buschman, a doctoral student in the School of Social Work who organized the food rescue efforts along with Feeding South Florida, the region’s largest food bank. “It goes directly to the community agencies ready to heat and serve.”
Before and during the festival, FIU hospitality and tourism management students contacted exhibiting companies to advise them that a food rescue would be taking place. Approximately 70 social work students filled food bank trucks with tins, boxes and crates of donated leftover food and non-alcoholic beverages.
“This year, with the addition of the social work students, we rescued 68 percent more food than last year,” said Buschman. “We are so proud and grateful that we have been able to help so many people in need within our community.”
FIU students were spotted volunteering until early morning hours at festival events such as Burger Bash and The Best Thing I Ever Ate to make sure the collection was complete.
For the 2013 South Beach Wine and Food Festival, Buschman plans to continue to expand the cooperative effort between FIU hospitality & tourism management and social work students and Feeding South Florida.
“The South Beach Wine and Food Festival is not only a great opportunity for FIU students to learn from top professionals, but it allows them to demonstrate their social responsibility to the South Florida community,” said Mike Hampton, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management dean. “These students go beyond what is expected and we are extremely proud of their dedication.”
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