Derek Fiorenza founded Fiorenza’s Food for Friends, or F4, in 2007. Now, the organization is close to setting a personal record of distributing 3 million pounds of food across 43 states.
Fiorenza noted F4 serves as a facilitator for other organizations.
“We're here to serve the agencies that need food, to provide that food to those that are in need,” he said. “For example, we partner sources of food — either it's perishable or non-perishable, prepared meals, non-prepared meals — with agencies that support local communities. So it’s local shelters, local food banks, local pantries, it’s big food banks like Philabundance. We’re here in the background connecting the dots.”
The former Wildcats kicker was inspired to launch the nonprofit while volunteering at a breakfast with Santa event.
“I asked the caterer if he ever had any food that he would be interested in donating, because I had a pull in my heart to come serve food to a local homeless shelter. From there, it just grew and it expanded,” he recalled.
Brenda Russell, CEO and executive director, compared their efforts to “unpaid brokers.”
“We are establishing partnerships. Organizationally, we do not purchase, transport or store any food. We are establishing a sustainable partnership where food is repeatedly donated,” she explained.
F4 is always looking for more volunteers, especially during the current crisis.