GREENSBORO -- UNCG students are helping to feed the hungry across the Triad while also cutting their own waste.
"I know sometimes I put too much food on my plate,” said student Christan Stephaney ”I'll be like, I'm not going to eat all this. I might want to downsize my food."
It's why UNCG started the "Clean Plate Program" through their food recovery network initiative. Levi Saavedra, president of the Food Recovery Network, said nearly 100 students have been putting long hours to help those in the community.
"We recover the excess food that's leftover twice a week,” said Saavedra. “We donate it to local charities."
The group works with the Salvation Army and local food pantries to make sure the hungry in the Triad are fed. The project began in the spring of 2015. Students have been collecting about 100 pounds of food a week.
Sarah Lynch, resident district manager with UNCG, said it’s taken a collaborative effort between faculty and students to make it all happen.
"We communicated through social media, a lot of word of mouth,” said Lynch. “Both right here in the dining hall and as well as other places on campus."
Because of their efforts, the 30 percent facing hunger in the Triad area are being fed. It's also helping reduce the amount of food students waste every time they go through the line.
"With a 30 percent rate reduction of our waste, 60 percent being our goal. It's very exciting to already be just over 50 percent of what our goal is," said Lynch.
The students' hard work has paid off in the last year. They've collected 3,000 pounds of food since it began.