Fighting hunger locally

Food Recovery Network

Through its philanthropic partnership with Food Recovery Network, NAR has provided roughly 5,000 pounds of food from its events to hunger-fighting groups across the U.S. since 2019.

NAR's Work With the Food Recovery Network

For more than a decade, Food Recovery Network (FRN) has united universities, food and dining services, and private sector entities, like NAR, in the fight against hunger, recovering excess food from meetings and events and donating those meals to local hunger-fighting nonprofit groups. FRN has donated more than 4.4 million meals to those experiencing hunger in the US since being founded in 2011 on the University of Maryland's College Park campus.

REALTORS® have a reputation for being active in their communities—for volunteering, donating to charities, or finding other meaningful ways to give back. NAR members, in fact, volunteer at three times the rate of the average American (67% to 23%). NAR's partnership with FRN is one of the best illustrations of that philanthropic spirit, with the nation's largest trade association having provided roughly 5,000 pounds of food from its events to hunger-fighting groups across the U.S. since 2019.

Recognizing the intrinsic link between shelter and food security, NAR released a report in the summer of 2021 highlighting some key statistics on the connection between affordable housing and hunger.

All donations to FRN directly support the organization's ability to enhance and increase food recovery efforts that ultimately provide meals nationwide to people experiencing hunger.

Statistics & Figures

Helping Our Communities in a Way That Counts

"Food security, just like shelter, is not a luxury—it’s a basic right of life. We are so grateful to have located a partner like FRN—which identified an area of real need in our world and found a practical, effective way to address it. This partnership perfectly illustrates the philanthropic spirit our members display daily in their communities, and we look forward to doing even more to feed Americans in need in the years ahead."

– NAR CEO Bob Goldberg

"NAR is such a powerful partner because they truly walk the walk to make food recovery the norm and not the exception, both by instituting food recovery plans at all of their national events … and by encouraging all of their members across the nation to establish food recovery programs at their own events."

– FRN Executive Director Regina Anderson

The Link Between Housing Affordability and Food Insecurity

50:18

Regina Anderson, Bob Goldberg, and Dr. Jessica Lautz explore the intersectionality of housing affordability and food insecurity, focusing on why these two life factors are linked and what happens when people do not have the resources they need to meet their life needs.

Housing Affordability and Food Sufficiency

Report

August 24, 2021

Using publicly available data, a strong connection is made between housing affordability and food insecurity in this report.

Get Involved

As part of its ongoing effort to address this significant, lingering need, NAR is supporting state and local REALTOR® associations working to have their own events Food Recovery Verified. Securing the verification means FRN will help organizations implement their own food recovery plan. Participation can count toward state and local REALTOR® associations' Core Standards Consumer Outreach requirement.

To qualify, event planners should:

Serve at least one meal and expect 200+ attendees.
Submit an application to FRN at least 30 days before the event.
Confirm that the venue is aware of the interest to establish a food recovery program. FRN can help with this process.

Learn How to Partner With FRN Donate to FRN