Saving Grace Food Rescue Shares Local Impact of Perishable Food Rescue

Posted February 5, 2026
Posted by Board of Supervisors and Public Relations

The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors welcomed Lenli Corbett Kountze, CEO and President of Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue, during a recent Board meeting for a presentation on perishable food rescue efforts happening in Pottawattamie County and across the greater metro area.  

Saving Grace is a nonprofit organization serving Pottawattamie, Douglas and Sarpy Counties, focused on capturing high-quality excess food and delivering it to nonprofits serving individuals and families in need.  

“Nourishing People, Nurturing the Planet” 

Saving Grace’s mission is rooted in community wellbeing and environmental stewardship. The organization emphasized that food waste has significant impacts beyond the loss of nutrition, including the resources required to grow and transport food, and the environmental effects when food ends up in landfills. 

Food waste is also a major contributor to landfill methane emissions, which impacts air quality. As Kountze shared, even a single head of lettuce can take up to 25 years to decompose in a landfill. 

A Large-Scale Challenge with Local Solutions 

During the presentation, Saving Grace highlighted several key statistics that illustrate the scale of food waste and food insecurity: 

• Approximately 30% of food goes unsold or uneaten  

• Nearly 120,000 people across the metro area are experiencing food insecurity  

• Over 10 million pounds of food have been rescued and redistributed in the metro area over the past 12 years by Saving Grace  

Saving Grace also shared that wasted food costs the United States an estimated $384 billion annually, equating to 120 billion meals.  

Kountze noted that the issue is not a lack of food production, but rather distribution. “We have enough food on the planet to feed people,” she said. “We have a terrible distribution system — not production.” 

Same-Day Rescue and Delivery 

Saving Grace operates as a food logistics and distribution operation, using refrigerated vehicles to move rescued food quickly and safely.  

Routes include pickups from food donors and drop-offs at nonprofit partners which are all completed the same day.  

Saving Grace emphasized that the organization does not warehouse food, allowing it to reach nonprofit partners quickly and remain fresh. Food rescued that morning is back in the community and available for use by 2:30 p.m. the same day. 

Pottawattamie County Impact 

All food rescued in Pottawattamie County stays in Pottawattamie County, strengthening local nonprofits and ensuring donations benefit residents here in our community. 

In 2025, Saving Grace reported rescuing 938,000 pounds of food, including 65,572 pounds delivered to five nonprofit partners in Pottawattamie County. 

How the Community Can Help 

Saving Grace described its work as being the “matchmaker” between food donors and nonprofit partners.  

When businesses donate excess food, they can support their sustainability goals, reduce waste hauling costs, and help strengthen the community.  

Residents can also help by shifting how they think about excess food, especially during major events that tend to generate high amounts of waste. Saving Grace encouraged community members to plan ahead by making smaller portions, having plans for leftovers, and encouraging guests to bring containers for take-home food. 

Learn More 

To learn more about Saving Grace Food Rescue, including how to donate, attend fundraising events, or connect potential food donors, visit www.savinggracefoodrescue.org. 

Helping Pottawattamie County residents access resources starts with strong community partnerships. If your nonprofit or community organization would like to share information or resources with the public by presenting at a Board of Supervisors meeting, please reach out to Pottawattamie County PR Manager Kate Gerber at 712-328-5898.