Local non-profit Waste Not was recently the recipient of a new E-transit refrigerated van and Level 2 charging station, gifted by Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program, which supports redistributing fresh food to those in need. On Dec. 11, 2025, both Waste Not staff and Whole Foods Market team members at the Whole Foods Market Tempe store celebrated by filling the van to the brim with donated products, bound for community members experiencing food insecurity.
“We are honored to be a recipient of Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhood program,” said Mara Pernick, executive director of Waste Not. “This refrigerated van is more than just a vehicle, it is a lifeline. It will allow our drivers to safely transport fresh, nutritious food across the Valley, ensuring it reaches families, veterans, and individuals who might otherwise go without. By keeping food fresh from pickup to delivery, we can maximize the impact of every donation and continue building a healthier, more resilient community.”
“We’re so thrilled to expand our relationship with Waste Not and further support their food rescue efforts to nourish the Phoenix community,” said Stacy McLean, Store Team Leader for Whole Foods Market Tempe. “Not only will this van help transport more rescued food to neighbors in need, but it will also help reduce food waste and do so much good to create long-term impact nourishing the community.”
Whole Foods Market launched Nourishing Our Neighborhoods in September 2020 and has donated 90 refrigerated vans to food rescue partners to transport food to communities across the U.S. and Canada. These food rescue partners participate in the company’s Grocery Rescue Program by picking up food from their stores each week and redistributing it to provide fresh high-quality food to neighbors in need.
Arizona leads the nation in food waste, with more than $9.5 billion worth of food discarded each year. At the same time, one in seven Arizonans struggle with hunger, uncertain about where their next meal will come from. Waste Not is working to change that. For over 35 years, Waste Not has been on a mission to eliminate food waste and hunger in Arizona by rescuing surplus food and delivering it directly to organizations that serve people in need. In 2024 alone, Waste Not diverted 2.7 million pounds of edible food from landfills – food that would have otherwise gone to waste but instead helped feed Arizonans facing food insecurity.
Learn more about Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program HERE and how Waste Not is nourishing the community HERE.
