Monthly giving
The steadiest support we have, since it lets us commit to refrigerated truck routes months in advance.
Feeding Toledo since 1997
Good food was already grown. It just needed a ride.
We collect surplus from grocers, growers and distributors and move it to 42 neighborhood pantries. Last year that was 3.1 million pounds that would otherwise have been thrown out.
3.1M lbsrescued last year
42partner pantries
$1 = 4 mealswhat a dollar covers
28 yrsserving Toledo
How we work
Ways to get food moving in this city
Every gift is unrestricted unless you say otherwise, which lets us buy the milk and protein that donations rarely cover.
One time gift
Roughly four meals reach a neighbor for every dollar given, because most of the food itself is donated.
Warehouse volunteer shift
Sorting and boxing rescued produce, open to individuals and groups, ages 12 and up with an adult.
Mobile market host
We bring a truck to your church, school or apartment complex and distribute directly, no paperwork required of recipients.
Corporate food drive
We provide bins, signage and pickup, and tell you afterward exactly what your drive delivered in meals.
Retail rescue partnership
Daily pickup from grocers and bakeries, with liability protection under the federal Good Samaritan act and a donation receipt.
About us
A warehouse, six trucks and a lot of volunteers
Second Harvest Table began in 1997 when two church pantries pooled a van to collect bread from a bakery that was throwing it away. We are now a 501c3 with a refrigerated warehouse on Dorr Street, six routes and about 1,400 volunteers a year. Our audited financials and Form 990 are posted publicly every year.
•87 cents of every dollar goes directly to food programs
•Audited financials and IRS Form 990 published annually
•No proof of income or ID required at any distribution
Reviews
Voices from our work
“The mobile market comes to our building the first Thursday. For neighbors without a car that is the difference between produce and no produce.”
Loretta B., Resident council president
“We were throwing out pallets of perfectly good produce every week. Now a truck comes daily and it goes to families instead of a dumpster.”
Dwayne H., Grocery store manager
“My team volunteers a shift every quarter. It is the only outing nobody tries to get out of.”
Kim S., Corporate volunteer group
FAQ
Giving and volunteering
Where does my donation actually go?
87 cents of every dollar goes to food programs, with the remainder covering administration and fundraising. Cash is more useful than canned goods because we buy at wholesale and can direct it to milk, eggs and protein, which are the items donations almost never cover.
Is the rescued food safe to eat?
Yes. Everything is inspected on arrival by trained staff, cold chain is maintained in refrigerated trucks, and anything questionable is composted rather than distributed. Most of what we rescue is surplus, mislabeled or cosmetically imperfect, not expired.
Who can receive food and what do they need to bring?
Anyone who needs it. We do not require proof of income, identification or residency at our mobile markets, and our partner pantries follow the same policy. Asking people to prove hardship keeps hungry people away, so we do not do it.
How do I volunteer and is there a minimum commitment?
Sign up for a two hour warehouse shift online and come once or come weekly, there is no minimum. Groups of up to twenty are welcome with two weeks notice, and Saturday morning shifts fill fastest.
Contact
Give an hour or give a dollar
Both matter and both are needed. Call the warehouse or use the forms here to schedule a shift or set up monthly giving.
Phone(419) 555-0107
Address905 Dorr Street, Toledo, Ohio
HoursWarehouse Mon to Fri 8am to 4pm, volunteer shifts including Sat mornings
AreaLucas, Wood and Fulton counties