EPA recognizes Food Link founders' environmental mission

UPDATED, Oct. 5: Food Link, a community organization that rescues fresh food and contributes to environmental sustainability, has been named a winner of the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Merit Award.

That award recognizes outstanding environmental advocates who have made significant contributions toward preserving and protecting our natural resources.

As the details about the award show, the EPA conferred it to both DeAnne Dupont and Julie Kremer, who cofounded Food Link in 2012.

In a joint statement, Vice President Kremer and Rachel N. Albert, interim executive director, describe what this recognition means to the Food Link community:

"From the very beginning, Food Link has served a dual mission: keeping fresh, nutritious food out of landfills -- and giving it to people who need it. Those who know Food Link as part of Greater Boston's food-security system may not realize that we are also an environmental organization. Winning the Environmental Merit Award gives us the opportunity to expand recognition of Food Link's work in addressing climate change.

"Food waste is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions— right up there with fossil fuels. In addition to rescuing 4,000 pounds of food a day, 360 days a year, Food Link is itself an almost zero-waste facility.

"If we receive food that cannot be distributed, we open up the packaging, compost the insides and recycle the container. From the green design of the operations hub [on Summer Street], to fulfilling our core mission, to how we handle our own food waste, we are doing our best every day to be awake to our impact on the environment."

Dupont, honored in 2016 by Chamber of Commerce as its Citizen of the Year, took a step back from day-to-day management last April. She continues to volunteer with Food Link and "remains very active within the broader community," Albert wrote.

To learn more about this achievement, shown at right, click here >> Award

Thank you to our volunteers and supporters who dedicate their time and effort to make Food Link’s mission possible.

Food Link is committed to creating a just and sustainable food system. Some of our many eco-friendly practices include:

Rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste and release harmful gasses into the environment;
Providing food for those in need to create a more sustainable future and
Building an eco-friendly Hub, equipped with energy-efficient appliances and repurposed materials.