Every dollar moves food exponentially.

So What Else has built one of the most efficient models for getting nutritious food into the hands of children, seniors, veterans, and families who need it. Can you imagine serving more than four meals with just one dollar, while also keeping consumable food out of landfills? 

Last year, with approximately $3.7 million in operating expenses, So What Else distributed more than $39 million worth of food throughout our communities.  For every $1 spent operating our programs, we delivered $10 worth of food. While the average food bank provides approximately 1.6 meals for every dollar donated, So What Else’s food rescue model allows each dollar to stretch significantly further, to over 4 meals per dollar. 

We don’t need to buy millions of dollars of food. We need the resources, capacity, and your support to move it.

Needs in the community are growing. Economic turmoil has directly contributed to more people asking us to move food every day. Requests for services continue to increase as families face rising grocery and housing costs. Community leaders regularly reach out to So What Else for help responding to emergencies and unexpected crises, assisting newly arrived refugees and other vulnerable families, and stocking empty school pantries.  

At the same time, the cost of keeping our food rescue network moving is rising. Transportation, drivers, trucks, fuel, refrigeration, warehouse operations, and logistics turn rescued food into meals for families. Even an increase in food costs of just a few cents per pound becomes significant when you are moving millions of pounds of food each year.

So What Else has raised our spending budget for 2026 and 2027 by $450,000 to meet these rising costs and challenges. The spike of 2.25 cents per pound of food turns into nearly a million dollars over two years. 

Your gift helps So What Else protect an incredibly efficient food distribution system, one that stretches every donated dollar further by leveraging food that already exists and getting it quickly and responsibly to the people who need it most.

The food is there. The network is there. The need is there. Help us keep food moving to the people who need it most.

Ways to help:

Donate to So What Else or attend one of our upcoming events!