Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (1888PressRelease)
October 17, 2009 - During a time when record numbers of people are losing their homes, unemployment is rising and a growing number of families are in need, California caterers, hotels and restaurants throw out roughly 1.5 million tons of perfectly good food every year. Norwood Young, founder of ‘Feed His People’, a non-profit organization is committed to ending hunger in America, beginning with Los Angeles County. http://www.wefeedhispeople.org/index02.htm “If you include food stores, medical/health facilities, schools, county facilities and businesses, over 5.8 million tons of food is discarded annually, according to a study published by the California Environmental Protection Agency in December, 2004,” adds Norwood.
The UCLA Center for Health Policy and Research, published that over 3 million adults in California could not put food on the table and 1.3 million children are going to bed hungry. In Los Angeles County alone, it is estimated that close to 1 million households are experiencing low food security and -- it's not just the homeless who are flocking to food banks and soup kitchens -- the worsening economy is forcing many working families to seek assistance just to put food on the table.
“Most people don’t know that if you are the one paying for that hotel banquet, wedding party or corporate event, you have the right to insist that any leftovers be donated to charity. And, when you are dining out, ask the restaurant what they do with their leftover food and let them know about the Good Samaritan Act,” says Norwood . The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996, and protects the donor and the recipient agency against any liability, excepting only gross negligence and/or intentional misconduct. According to Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code, wholesome food that is properly saved, donated to an approved agency and properly receipted is eligible for an enhanced tax deduction equal to ½ of the donated food’s appreciated value.
So, why is so much food ending up in the dumpster? “Simply put, it's often too much hassle for restaurants, caterers and hotels to arrange for leftover food to be given to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. So they toss it in the trash,” says Norwood, “however, the good news is that The Cheesecake Factory, The Olive Garden, Red Lobster, A&W Restaurants, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s have stepped up to the plate and are harvesting their leftover food, but where are the rest of the national chains (we know who they are) and why isn’t every hotel, caterer and restaurant doing the same?” asks Norwood.
To augment food rescue in Los Angeles County, ‘Feed His People’ is now working in conjunction with a Southern California food bank whose facility includes a 24,000 square foot warehouse with freezer and refrigeration space which can hold 4.5 million pounds of food at any given time. “We will pick up the food, transport it and deliver it to the hungry. All we need is your leftover food,” says Norwood , “and hopefully, together, we can end hunger in America ”
About the Founder:
With a heart for the less fortunate, Norwood founded “Feed His People.” a non-profit organization to feed the hungry, in 2005. As the former lead singer for the legendary jazz group “Pieces of a Dream,” Norwood Young recorded the album entitled ‘Bout Dat Time’ and received a Gold Record for the hit single “What Can I Do?” Recording great and Grammy nominee, Millie Jackson was so impressed with Norwood ’s talent that she invited him to record a duet called “Young Man, Older Woman” which became the premise of the touring musical of the same name. Later that year, Norwood was offered a role and starred in a musical called “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and the show closed in Los Angeles where Norwood decided to make his home and chose Hancock Park!
Norwood has appeared weekly on television, starring on E! Network Television’s hit reality series “High Maintenance 90210” and has recently completed his autobiography, Getting Back To My Me, written with Pulitzer Prize winner Karen Hunter. The memoir chronicles his life from sexual and drug abuse to the perils of Hollywood . The book is due out in Spring 2010, and is published by Simon and Schuster.
For interview opportunities, or for more information, contact Doris Bergman at
310 397-3638
310 397-3638
doris ( @ ) bergmanpr dot com
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