How So What Else Volunteers Help Protect the Planet and Nourish Our Neighbors
Every Earth Day, we are reminded that caring for the planet is not only about what we reduce, recycle, or reuse. It’s also about how we care for one another.
At So What Else, Earth Month is a time to recognize the clear connection between food waste and hunger.
According to the USDA, every year in the U.S., 80 billion pounds of food are thrown away while 47 million people face food insecurity. The issue isn’t always food supply; too often, it’s food access. That’s where food rescue, and our volunteers, make all the difference.
Turning Surplus Into Support
Through the So What Else Hunger Relief program, surplus food is recovered and redistributed to families across the DMV region. Food that could’ve ended up in a landfill instead becomes fresh produce, pantry staples, and meaningful support for families in our community.
In 2025 alone, So What Else rescued 18.7 million pounds of food, valued at $36 million. That impact wouldn’t be possible without the people who show up day after day to help move food from surplus to support.
That’s why Earth Month and Volunteer Appreciation Week belong in the same conversation: Food rescue is climate action, and volunteerism is what makes that action possible.
Volunteers Move Food Where It Is Needed Most
Every week, So What Else volunteers help unload trucks, sort rescued food, pack bags, welcome families, support distributions, and make sure food moves quickly into the hands of our neighbors. They’re often the bridge between surplus food and a family’s next meal.
So What Else hosts 30,000 volunteer hours each year, helping power our food rescue and distribution efforts.
Our team of hunger relief staff members, volunteers, and community partners work to reduce waste and nourish communities at the same time. Every packed box, loaded pallet, delivery route, and distribution line is part of a larger effort to care for both people and the planet.
Celebrating Volunteer Appreciation Week
During Volunteer Appreciation Week, we’re especially reminded that our volunteers aren’t just helping us run programs. They’re helping us live out our mission.
They ask the same question that guides everything we do: So what else can we do to help?
Earth Month often invites us to think big. We think about climate change, sustainability, natural resources, and the future we’re creating for the next generation.
But, the work can also begin close to home. Every seemingly small action – from spending an afternoon at a food distribution at our Food Rescue Bank to taking an hour out of your day to drop off food donations – adds up to something so much bigger.
Caring for the Planet Starts with Caring for People
At So What Else, environmental responsibility and community care go hand in hand. When we rescue food, we reduce waste. When we distribute that food, we help families facing hunger. When volunteers show up to make it happen, they become part of a solution that is both practical and powerful.
This Volunteer Appreciation Week, we want to thank every person who has given their time and energy to So What Else. Thank you for showing up early, lifting, sorting, packing, driving, organizing, and serving. Thank you for treating every family with care and support. Thank you for helping us turn surplus food into nourishment.
As we close out Earth Month, join So What Else in protecting the planet and serving our community.
Ways you can help:
