Bridging the Gap with REcover: Turning Excess into Access

In the United States, more than 38 million people lack reliable access to nutritious meals. Right here in Eagle County, over 8,700 of our neighbors face food insecurity on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, an estimated 108 billion pounds of food—nearly 40% of the entire country’s food supply—goes to waste each year. Perfectly edible food ends up in landfills while families go to bed hungry.

At Eagle Valley Community Foundation (EVCF), we saw this disconnect and created REcover, a food rescue program designed to bridge the gap between good food going to waste and community members who need it most.

What is REcover?

REcover exists to connect restaurants, food purveyors, and local businesses with our team of volunteers and staff who pick up excess food and redistribute it directly to families across the valley through The Community Market.

Whether it’s unsold bakery items, surplus produce, or overstocked grocery inventory, our team makes it easy:

1. Sign up to become a REcover partner.
2. Coordinate with our team for scheduled pick-ups.
3. We handle the transport and distribution—it’s that simple.
   

Thanks to the Good Samaritan Act, all food donations are protected from liability when donated in good faith. We also provide clear donation guidelines and hands-on support to walk new partners through the process.

Introducing: REcover Certified

We’re also proud to offer REcover Certified—a certification program for restaurants and food establishments who are committed to reducing food waste and providing nutritious food to our neighbors. It’s an opportunity to be recognized for your impact while helping those in need. Any business that regularly has food left over—from small cafés to large grocery chains—can qualify.

Q3 Leaderboard: January–March Food Rescue Champions

Thanks to our incredible REcover partners, more than 242,000 pounds of food were rescued and redistributed in just Quarter 3 (January through March). These generous businesses, schools, and individuals made a real difference:

1. Costco – 54,799 lbs
2. Walmart – 22,234 lbs
3. Avon City Market – 12,389 lbs
4. Eagle City Market – 12,348 lbs
5. Vail City Market – 9,499 lbs
6. Bimbo – 8,805 lbs
7. Village Market – 7,445 lbs
8. Karlin Foods Corp. – 6,862 lbs
9. Ridleys – 2,843 lbs
10. Alpine Vending – 2,495 lbs
11. Eagle County Charter Academy – 2,312 lbs
12. Market at Vail – 2,193 lbs
13. Avon Bakery – 1,670 lbs
14. Anonymous Donations – 1,649 lbs
15. Maverick Gypsum – 1,363 lbs
16. Maverick Eagle – 1,122 lbs
17. Stone Creek Charter – 740 lbs
18. Eagle County Government – 500 lbs
19. Lauren Cremonose – 415 lbs
20. Safeway – 398 lbs
21. Starbucks – 381 lbs
22. Grace Fellowship Church – 328 lbs
23. Little Bird Commissary – 232 lbs
24. Slifer and Smith Frampton Real Estate – 220 lbs
25. Sweet Leaf Pioneer – 274 lbs
26. Vail Mountain School – 268 lbs
27. David Lloyd – 200 lbs
28. Vail Health – 195 lbs
29. Roundup River Ranch – 150 lbs
30. Hover & Harrison – 59 lbs
31. Chabad Vail Jewish Center – 84 lbs
32. Eagle County Government 4H Rodeo – 33 lbs
33. Eagle County Presbyterian Church – 22 lbs
    

Together, these partners helped ensure that food ended up on tables instead of in landfills. Thank you for being part of the solution.

Ready to Join the Movement?

Are you a business, restaurant, grocery store, school, or community organization with excess food? You can be part of the solution. Becoming a REcover partner is easy, and every donation helps us move one step closer to a hunger-free Eagle County.

Contact Cooper today at cooper@evcf.org or visit www.evcf.org/recover to get started.
Let’s REcover together.