Claire Insalata Poulos of Englewood recognized that the rescue of excess fresh foods from restaurants and supermarkets could significantly address the problem of hunger and poor nutrition faced by thousands in her community. In 1999, with a donated vehicle and two employees, she started Table to Table. Poulos and her “crew” picked up fresh leftover food from three restaurants and a few supermarkets and delivered it to a handful of soup kitchens in Paterson. The pick-ups quickly expanded to corporate cafeterias, caterers and country clubs as did the range of places receiving the daily bounty: homeless shelters, HIV medical day centers, homes for the aged, drug rehabilitation centers, pantries for the working poor and agencies for victims of domestic violence. Today, Table to Table is recognized as one of the most effective and cost-efficient food rescue programs in the country. In 2023, the organization plans to redistribute enough food from more than 300 donors to serve more than 40 million meals to more than 250 local agencies at a cost of less than 10 cents per meal. Table to Table is a community-based food rescue program that collects perishable food that would otherwise be wasted and delivers it to organizations that serve the hungry in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties. The organization ‘rescues’ food from about 300 donors and delivers it the same day (free of charge) to over 250 community organizations. Our focus is to provide fresh, healthy food: produce, whole grains and lean protein. We work with a number of local grocery stores (including ShopRite, Whole Foods and Trader Joes) as well as produce wholesalers and distributors. The food we rescue is delivered to recipient agencies at no cost and is often served to our hungry neighbors within hours of being rescued!