Man gets kudos from Patriots for saving food
Stamford resident helped send 10,000 meals to people in need
STAMFORD — Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Stamford resident has diverted 10,000 meals slated for the trash heap and helped deliver them to people in need.
Oliver Kaufman volunteered his time with Stamford-based Food Rescue US , and this month was recognized by the New England Patriots for his work. Kaufman, who has been a volunteer since 2015, was selected as the 2022 Myra Kraft
Community MVP Award winner for his efforts.
“I may have been selected as an MVP but just like a Patriots player might say, ‘I could not have done what I do without the team,’ ” Kaufman said, in a press release. “They make my job easier. In its simplest form, Food Rescue US picks up extra food from supermarkets, restaurants and farms and delivers it to homeless shelters and soup kitchens. This award validates that what we do at Food Rescue US is so important.”
Over the past two years, Kaufman has completed 700 “food rescues,” defined by the organization as the act of delivering food directly from donors to social service organizations that represent people in need.
“We help take excess nutritious food and feed those who need it most and help save the planet from harmful methane gases caused by food waste and it only takes one hour or less of our time,” he said in the release.
Kaufman was one of 26 volunteers recognized at an event in early June at Gillette Stadium, the home of the Patriots. He was presented with a $10,000 donation for Food Rescue US. The Kraft family and the New England Patriots Foundation have recognized volunteers for giving back to their communities through the Community MVP award, which was created 25 years ago.
Danielle Blaine, the site director for the Fairfield County chapter of Food Rescue US, thanked Kaufman. The nonprofit was co-founded in 2011 in Norwalk by a software developer and a pastor and now calls Stamford home. Its CEO is Greenwich resident Carol Shattuck.
“Thanks to volunteers like Oliver, Food Rescue US has saved more than 39 million pounds of food in Fairfield County in its lifetime,” Blaine said in the press release. “This award validates that what we do at Food Rescue US is so important and how critical our volunteers are to this mission.”
Kaufman said the experience with Food Rescue US has been a rewarding one.
“It makes me smile knowing I’m bringing such nutritious food to those in need,” he said. “I think if you have not rescued food before, you will be in awe
of what you can bring to help a neighbor in need. This exchange is uplifting to all those involved especially in these uncertain times.”