“Many restaurants in Phoenix are preparing meals for the first responders and health care workers who need the nourishment to do their jobs," said Steve Rosenstein, owner of The Duce. “We realized that there are hungry families out there who need meals as well. So, we've laced up the gloves to give hunger a 1-2 punch."
By Eric Jay Toll for PhxNewsroom
The Duce and Waste Not announced a partnership on April 22 to deliver hundreds of healthy and nutritious meals a day to hungry local families impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The donation-financed program puts furloughed workers back to work and complete meals into Waste Not's volunteer-driven delivery trucks.
The Duce, 525 S. Central Ave., in the Downtown Phoenix Warehouse District, is a community-centered restaurant, bar-entertainment venue, and boxing gym.
Waste Not, a Valley nonprofit organization, collects unused food from Phoenix-area restaurants, event venues, caterers and grocers for distribution to hungry families in transitional housing and shelters across the Valley. Its volunteer drivers visit a long list of donors and transport food in refrigerated trucks to the client anti-hunger organizations and facilities.
“Waste Not keeps perishable foods out of landfills and puts it into the hands of those in need," said Kate Thoene, executive director, Waste Not. “We've been blessed with an increase in organizations willing to help get food to hungry families. Most give us their daily leftovers, but some are providing deliverable meals. The Duce is turning this into a labor of love by making ready-to-eat meals."
The initial meal donation from The Duce is going to a nonprofit organization located down the street from the venue in south Phoenix, the House of HELPS.
“The Duce, what they represent, is more than just local Phoenix flavor. They are a business that loves our downtown, our residents, our city," said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “With their new endeavor to help our community during COVID-19, not only will they be providing meals to those in need, they are providing work to the loyal employees and vendors who've made them a success."
With more families facing the challenge of putting food on the table, Andi and Steve Rosenstein and The Duce are in this fight to end hunger. Concerned about their family of workers and looking at their empty kitchen with the potential to prepare and package upwards to 1,000 meals a day, the Rosensteins connected with generous friends and vendors. The initial round of donations for the Food Fight will supply Waste Not with hundreds of daily meals made by the returning-to-work Duce team.
The Phoenix Suns donated $25,000 to boost the ever-growing fund-raising effort. The Duce has a goal of $150,000 to $200,000 for its Food Fight. So far, nearly $50,000 has been raised.
“Since the NBA season was postponed, our efforts organization-wide have been focused on working with our partners to assist the most vulnerable in our community," said Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver. “We are proud to support The Duce and Waste Not's efforts to help those struggling with hunger and encourage others to do the same. Getting through these challenging times together requires teamwork and we will continue to identify where support is needed most."
At the kick-off event, several artisan food vendors were present, showing how the donations will ripple through the food and agriculture communities.
With hotels and restaurants closed, food producers and farmers have had to scramble to find new markets.
The Duce's Food Fight is putting restaurant orders back into the hands of the local producers.
Waste Not has been fighting hunger in the Valley for 32 years. In the alley to-go window at The Duce, one of the nonprofit's refrigerated vans pulls up and pops open its doors. A chain of Duce and Waste Not team members pass bags from the opening, filling the van with dozens of meals for the first load heading to House of Helps, a few blocks away.
“Waste Not doesn't store food," says Thoene. “We load up at our donors and then take the collected food and meals to our hunger fighters like House of HELPS, Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul. The food goes right from the source to the families."
The Rosensteins, originally from Chicago, greeted media, vendors, volunteers and its staff with decorative face masks made in their Los Angeles t-shirt manufacturing facility.
“Taking down hunger is so important with what's happening now, but it's an ongoing fight," Steve said from the podium. “We see this effort continuing to get good food to hungry families even after we get back to normal."
Credit Andi Rosenstein for coming up with the Food Fight idea. She told media, “We're part of this neighborhood here in the Downtown Warehouse District, and we were concerned about the families who work in restaurants and hotels who lost their jobs. That's why we're doing this."
Waste Not is in a unique position with COVID-19 closures. The shut-down came so fast that many vendors not previously using the nonprofit's services found themselves with large inventories of food that either needed to be used or thrown away.
“Initially, we saw very large quantities of food from our regular food donors and many new ones," said Thoene. “This will level off as we deliver those food supplies, so the good works of the Rosensteins are important for us."
Thoene said that other restaurants are also providing prepared meals. Salad-n-Go is making 1,500 salads a week for Waste Not. Panera Bread is donating hundreds of meals. On (April 22), American Airlines donated all the surplus food from its Phoenix aviation catering center.
Andi Rosenstein told the media, “We're heartened by the generosity of so many making this and other programs for feeding the hungry possible."
Image captions:
Main: Local vendors, in front of the boxing ring, stand together with Steve and Andi Rosenstein, owners of The Duce in announcing the Hunger Fight on April 23, 2020. Credit: City of Phoenix.
Profile photo: Robert Sarver, managing partner, The Phoenix Suns. Credit: City of Phoenix.
Middle: Crews from Phoenix metro television stations video Steve and Andi Rosenstein and supporters at the start of the Food Fight at The Duce, April 23, 2020. Credit: City of Phoenix
