County campaign collects 7,623 pounds of food
Donated not Wasted, Lee County’s annual food rescue campaign, successfully diverted 7,623 pounds of food from potential disposal — exceeding last year’s collection total of 5,746 pounds by 32.66%.
Lee County Solid Waste Director Doug Whitehead said said the food provided over 6,300 meals.
In partnership with the Harry Chapin Food Bank, the effort encourages seasonal residents to donate unopened pantry items to divert as much food as possible from disposal. Recreation centers and libraries, including the Sanibel Public Library and Captiva Memorial Library, provided 18 drop-off locations throughout the county.
Since the program’s inception, more than 33,008 pounds of food has been diverted from potential disposal and sent to the food bank — enough food to provide over 27,300 meals to residents.
Additional partners in the campaign included Lee County Parks & Recreation, Lee County Library System and Waste Pro.