School district expands food donation program

Bakersfield City School District is expanding the number of schools participating in a program to donate leftover cafeteria food to local shelters, Bakersfield.com reports.

The program, called Waste Hunger, Not Food, began last April in partnership with the county health department. Due to its initial success, the program is expanding from one elementary school to six schools starting this school year.

Under the program, students place unopened milk cartons, whole fresh foods and unopened prepackaged food that they don’t want into three separate bins. The health department then picks up the food after lunch and takes it to a local agency to be distributed to the community.

Officials hope to expand the program to include food donated by local restaurants and markets.

Read the full story via bakersfield.com.