Permit me to guide you through an intricate tableau - a bustling marketplace with nature's vivid palette. Piles of succulent fruits and vegetables, as varied and abundant as the brushstrokes on a Monet painting, offer an orchestra of tastes to the discerning shopper. Yet, as the light softens and the day seeps into twilight, the leftover symphony is discarded, the unsold remains thrown into an elegy of waste, echoing within the forgotten alleys of indifference. This is the overlooked tale of surplus turned into waste.

Now, allow me to introduce you to James, a tastemaker in his own right and the conductor of his restaurant, "The Humble Plate." His love for food was not confined to flavors and textures; it flowed into the sphere of respect for the process and the produce. James was acutely aware of a tragic paradox - the towering heaps of discarded food standing in stark contrast with the aching emptiness experienced by the less privileged.

In the United States, the scale of this paradox is immense. As a nation, we jettison approximately 80 billion pounds of edible food each year. Simultaneously, an alarming one in eight Americans grapples with the gnawing pains of food insecurity. This striking contradiction served as a call to arms for James, fuelling his determination to transform the narrative around food waste.

At "The Humble Plate," James's crusade was palpable. He implemented an ethos of sustainability and respect for food - an endeavor that transcended business and trickled into every plate served at his restaurant. Through mindful procurement, championing the use of 'ugly' produce, and innovatively utilizing every part of his supplies, he managed to rescue nearly a ton of food from becoming waste each month.

But the man's resolve didn't halt at minimizing waste. His vision was grander, more compassionate. James partnered with local food pantries, channeling the surplus from his restaurant into nourishing meals for those who needed them the most. His initiative did more than fill hungry bellies; it breathed life into the local food economy and wove threads of empathy into the fabric of the community.

I implore you to envision a world that mirrors the ethos of "The Humble Plate." Imagine a society where food waste is not a bitter aftertaste of our meals but a challenge we can and will surmount. Each grain saved and each fruit rescued is a stride towards a healthier planet and a more balanced society. It's a balm to the gnawing pain of food insecurity.

As this email finds its way into your day, may it plant a seed in the fertile grounds of your consciousness. May it spur you to gaze past the filled plate before you and perceive the often-invisible costs and the promise of transformative solutions. Let's shift our collective story from 'out of sight, out of mind' to 'every grain, every bite counts.'

Anticipating a future with a balanced table.

Randy Salars
Silver City Gospel Mission Director