Here at The Chopping Block, we are committed to making a difference in the lives of others. We know that within our kitchens we have the ability to get the country to cook through the hands on instruction offered by some of the best chefs in the world, but what about outside of our walls?
A while back, I was approached by a gentlemen named Raj, who is the founder and CEO of a company called Zero Percent. Raj shared with me that "According to USDA estimates, between 30 and 50 percent of all food produced is discarded. Meanwhile, 1 in 6 Americans have difficulty finding enough to eat."
Wow, I thought. Here I am, surrounded – and I mean surrounded by food every single day, while someone out there is hungry. Makes your heart skip a beat.
Raj believes that it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, that’s where the name ‘Zero Percent’ came from. Raj and his team believe that zero percent of food should be wasted, and he started his business to help businesses like The Chopping Block make that a reality.
While I’ve always been proud of The Chopping Block’s good recycling and composting habits, I had not yet considered what else is possible for the food we often have left over. Cue Raj, and his awesome team of food rescuers. Zero Percent has made it so easy to donate our leftover food. We simply package everything up that we can donate, and email Raj and his team for next day pick-ups. They have options where you can chose standing days for pick ups, or simply email when you do have something to contribute.
Since partnering with Zero Percent only 6 weeks ago, we have already donated over 300 lbs of food! I know this because they have a user friendly ‘dashboard’ you can login to monitor your donations. I had the opportunity to chat with one of the food rescuers the other day, and he told me our last two donations had gone to an organization geared toward children. When he went to make his second delivery and they saw our name, they actually asked for our Truffle Grilled Asparagus! Parents – if you want your kids to eat more veggies apparently the trick is truffle salt. And yes, we do have it in stock.
Overall, working with Zero Percent has been an exceptional experience so far, and I want to thank our team here at The Chopping Block for rallying behind this cause, and taking the extra time to make sure we are donating everything we possibly can. As a business, we are always looking for ways to increase our impact and make a positive difference in the lives of others. Thank you Raj for providing us an opportunity to help others by connecting our hearts to their bellies.
