Help reduce food waste
February 10, 2025
Office for Sustainability introduces new Free Food Alert app
UVA and the Office for Sustainability are partnering with the Free Food Alert app to reduce food waste from catered events on Grounds.
OFS is currently seeking staff members who regularly plan events at UVA to sign up as event hosts on the app. Hosts can notify the UVA community when excess food is available, redirecting leftover food to student and staff subscribers. This process empowers event hosts to redirect food quickly and conveniently, and reduce cleanup burdens.
How to Become a Host:
- Sign up with a virginia.edu email.
- Complete in-platform training that covers federal food safety and giveaway management (18 minutes + 6-question quiz)
From there, sending out alerts is easy. You just enter a few details and snap a photo of the food you're giving away. If you want to end the giveaway early or run out of food, the app will notify subscribers that the giveaway is over.
OFS is slowly launching the app at UVA to ensure it runs smoothly. Once 20 event hosts are registered, there will be a major outreach campaign to recruit more subscribers.
As an event planner, having to deal with perfectly edible leftover food is inconvenient and even disconcerting, so we are looking forward to this approach to combat food insecurity and reduce waste.
Shannon Sahs
Education & Outreach Specialist
UVA Office for Sustainability
(434) 254-9647
jce4jp@virginia.edu