PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Getting food to those in need is a little easier than it used to be, thanks to an app from a Philadelphia nonprofit.
Philly Food Rescue uses its app to connect food donors with people who need it. It's a resource officials say has been in high demand.
"We definitely have an uptick in people who are in need," said Shontae Smarr, director of Philly Food Rescue.
Smarr said if you're a restaurant owner, a home gardener, or someone with an overflow of food, their app connects you with a volunteer who can pick up that food so they can get it to a home with a food insecurity.
"So this app sends out notifications daily that tells volunteers when food is available and in need of a food rescue hero," she explained.
Since the start of the pandemic, 400 volunteers have downloaded the app, according to Smarr, and their monthly output of food they are able to get to homes in need has more than doubled.
These are things she said are positive in a time when so many are in need.




