1. C.A.T © : No Waste FridaY

2. What is C.A.T.?
C.A.T. is a group of 5th Graders who want to solve 2 problems: Food Disparity and Food Waste. These are huge issues in Central Ohio. When we were in 5th grade, We began by researching the 2 issues to uncover facts.
Our idea was to collect food items to be donated to Heart to Heart Food Pantry each week. Also, we would help to organize the shelves and products.

3. Old proposal…NEW proposal
We started by forming five main phases:
Phase 1- Start Up/Project Managers
Phase 2- Community Outreach
Phase 3- School Publicity
Phase 4- Tech Publicity
Phase 5- Partner Appreciation
Our Phase 1 group began by researching the issues of food insecurity and food waste to uncover facts. Then we organized a list of restaurants and community places that might be able to help with our project. We talked to representatives from Heart to Heart, and they are excited to work with us.
Fortunately many businesses liked our idea, but most businesses were already partnering with other organizations; therefore, they could not work with us. So we then came up with the idea of “No Waste Friday.”

4. Facts that are Super Important
“According to a 2014 EPA study, America throws away more than 38 million tons of food every year. That’s the weight of 104 Empire State Buildings, with a bit to spare. Or, to put it another way, that single year’s worth of food waste would be enough to balance a scale with of all the Blue Whales left in the world, multiplied by 10, stacked up on the other side.”
“In the United States, food waste is estimated at between percent of the food supply. This estimate, based on estimates from USDA’s Economic Research Service of 31 percent food loss at the retail and consumer levels, corresponded to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in This amount of waste has far-reaching impacts on food security, resource conservation and climate change.”

5. Facts that are Super important (continued)
“More than 525,000 individuals, including 183,750 children and 89,250 seniors, receive emergency food each year through Mid-Ohio Foodbank.”
“In any given week, 55% of the clients receive emergency food assistance from a food pantry, soup kitchen, or emergency shelter we serve.”
21% of landfill volume is food waste
21% of fresh water is used to produce food that is then discarded
If we were to reduce our food waste by just 20%, we could avoid 18 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions

6. What is No Waste Friday?
“No Waste Friday” is during every lunch period, every Friday. C.A.T. has a table set up in the cafeteria for kids to donate food that they don’t eat or like, that they would have typically just thrown away. The donating takes place throughout each lunch period.
Then after the 4th and 5th grade lunch period is over, we load a school van at 12:30, just outside the cafeteria. We rotate 9 fifth grade students each Friday to Heart to Heart Food Pantry. We are back to school by 1:30 pm at the latest.

7. Us In Action

8. Social Media!
Want to stay up to date with C.A.T? The best way to know what C.A.T is doing is to follow our Twitter! Yes, we have a Twitter. on Twitter!
*We actually have Sara Hager run our Twitter, often from her own Twitter account. Please

9. Total donations to date
October present
March
4th Grade 77
5th Grade
187
6th Grade
118
7th Grade 18
8th Grade 5
TOTAL
405
4th Grade
153
5th Grade
279
6th Grade 47
7th Grade 28
8th Grade 27
TOTAL
534
Grand Total
939

10. Works Cited Foodbank, Mid-Ohio. “Hunger Facts.” Mid-Ohio Foodbank,
“How Many People Are Hungry in the World?” World Hunger News,
“Ten Ways Food Waste Hurts the Environment.” Feeding America,

11. This initiative was Started Last year by our current 6th graders
This initiative was Started Last year by our current 6th graders. This year, the 5th graders are carrying on our work. Other school districts have even asked about our project and would like to borrow our ideas!
Heart to Heart Food Pantry is located at 1944 W. First Avenue Columbus, OH 43212