Putting your Thanksgiving leftovers to work in Pittsburgh to help those in need
Getting a Thanksgiving feast on the table takes so much time, and oftentimes, there is far more food than everyone can eat.
So, what happens to your Thanksgiving leftovers? Have you ever considered donating them, because with so many people in need, it is an option?
Millvale Free Fridge accepting Thanksgiving leftovers
In the heart of Millvale, right on Grant Avenue, there's a walkway along the side of the Millvale Community Library that will take you to the library's back patio, and there you'll find a refrigerator.
"Anybody can come put anything in, and anybody can come take anything out," said Melissa Mason, director of the Millvale Free Fridge.
Mason said that here, your Thanksgiving leftovers may be just what someone else needs.
"They can pack up their leftovers, and they can put them in the mobile community library's free fridge," she said.
Those in need come at all hours of the day and night to the fridge, as well as the pantry nearby.
"I see teens come here in the morning before school, and then stop here after school. I also see families," Mason said.
All with no questions, and no embarrassment because Mason said, "We want our neighborhood to eat, we want our community to eat."
If I don't live near Millvale, where else can I donate?
The Millvale Free Fridge is not alone; the 412 Food Rescue website provides a number of free fridge locations across the Pittsburgh area.
"People are well-meaning, they put good food in there, but there is some amount of oversight to those," explained 412 Food Rescue Vice President of Operations Josh Weiland.
Weiland said before you have leftovers in hand ready to donate, make sure to plan ahead.
"You can find that by going to findhelp.org, searching within your area, and you can see who your local food pantry is; you can reach out to them directly," he said.
The same with the free food community fridges, reach out and ask about their guidelines, and what they'll take. In Millvale, their only request is that you clearly mark what the food is and include the date.
"This is benefiting hungry people," Mason said. "This is benefiting people who have too much food on their hands, and want to do it in a kind of an ethical and responsible way."
There is also the opportunity to donate to pantries, which will gladly take your extra non-perishables, such as those cans of green beans that don't make it into the casserole, or the bag of stuffing you didn't need.
You also don't need to wait for the holidays to do this. Many of these community fridges and pantries are 24-7, 365 with no questions asked.