At the University of Notre Dame, Walk the Walk Week is an annual celebration commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy and renewing the University’s commitment to building a community based on our Catholic faith and mission as a Catholic university. When you consider the concept of living in solidarity with all, particularly the most vulnerable, the importance of helping provide for our extended community is critical. As part of the tenth annual observance, a session was dedicated to discussing building bridges to improve food security.
The theme woven throughout the session, which included representatives from Notre Dame and community organizations such as Cultivate Food Rescue, Unity Gardens, and the Center for the Homeless was how individual actions and local engagement can help combat hunger and food waste.
Jim Conklin, co-founder and executive director of Cultivate Food Rescue, emphasized the scale of food waste in our society. He revealed that nearly 80% of food waste consists of perishable goods. He highlighted how this waste could be avoided through smarter practices - like what Cultivate Food Rescue does - rescuing food from a variety of entities and then freezing them to lock in nutrients. "If you don't have food security, the stress is unreal. You're constantly wondering where the next meal will come from," Conklin shared, underscoring the emotional toll food insecurity has on families. Cultivate Food Rescue visits campus daily to source food for its mission and operations and, with over 200 pantries in Elkhart and St. Joseph county, they are able to get food to areas with the greatest need.
Local partnerships also play a critical role in combating hunger. Katie Lane, director of operations from Unity Gardens, highlighted the importance of community gardens in providing fresh produce and fostering connections. “Anyone can come and pick the food,” said Lane, director of operations for Unity Gardens, stressing the open-access nature of the gardens. “Beyond just food, these spaces are about building relationships, offering support, and providing a safe, therapeutic environment for those involved.” Assistant director Danny Davis shared his own transformative experiences at Unity Gardens, explaining that the act of gardening goes beyond harvesting food—it’s a process that helps heal and nurture individuals in ways that transcend the physical benefits of fresh produce.
Growing fruits and vegetables by seed and reducing waste by canning fruits and vegetables once produced are just two practical examples of what you can do in your own home. As Calvin Metts, executive chef at Three Leaf, Morris Inn and Notre Dame Conference Center, cooked up a meal of leftover beef, mushrooms, and tomato sauce, he encouraged people to repurpose ingredients they have already at home from previous meals to create new dishes. He emphasized that creativity in the kitchen not only minimizes food waste but also improves the overall quality and nutrition of meals.
Conklin summarized it well. "We as a society have to reevaluate priorities and think about how we waste things and what we can do,” summarized Conklin. “When we waste food, we make food more expensive." Food security isn’t just about providing meals, but about fostering community, building relationships, educating others, and finding long-term solutions that can create a more food-secure world.
Originally published by at experience.nd.edu on February 04, 2025.