2025 ANNUAL REPORT
Together, we rescue more.
Together, we feed more.
Thanks to our community of donors, volunteers and partners, we’re making sure that good food doesn’t go to waste and our neighbors don’t go hungry.
2025 Highlights:
- 2,591,556 pounds rescued
- 250,000+ people served, including 60,000 children
- 5,000+ rescues completed — our highest rescue year to date
- 164 volunteers
- 1,200+ app downloads
- 49,546 miles driven
- 103 new food partners; 250 total partners
- 79 nonprofits served
OUR MISSION: reduce local food insecurity by connecting our partners, volunteers, and nonprofits to keep good food out of landfills and nourish our community
Local Impact. Real Change.
Make an impact in your own backyard.
Across Kentuckiana, Kentucky Harvest connects rescued food with nonprofit partners serving neighbors in need. Explore the map to see where our network is active—and where there is room to grow.
Together, with your support, our staff, volunteers, food donors, and nonprofit partners are rescuing food, nourishing families, and strengthening our neighborhoods.
Every route matters. Every partnership matters. Every volunteer moves us forward.
Whether your neighborhood has an established partner network or is an area where Kentucky Harvest is working to grow, your time can make a meaningful difference. Volunteers are needed across Kentuckiana, including Louisville, surrounding Kentucky counties, and communities throughout Southern Indiana, to keep good food moving and help us reach more neighbors.
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
Transparent stewardship.
Kentucky Harvest maximizes the value of donated food, volunteer support, and community investment to rescue surplus food and deliver it to organizations serving families throughout Kentuckiana.
Total Revenue & Support
In-Kind Food Donation Received
Overall Breakdown:
Program Delivery: $5,560,384
| In-kind food distribution | $5,105,365 |
| Program salaries, wages, benefits & payroll taxes | $370,160 |
| Food Rescue Hero App / Other Technology | $6,000 |
| Program occupancy, supplies & insurance | $24,799 |
| Program travel, meetings & other program expenses | $54,060 |
Events & Fundraising: $43,685
| Event expenses | $10,639 |
| Fundraising salaries & payroll | $8,413 |
| Marketing & promotion | $24,633 |
Operations (Management & General): $48,910
| Accounting | $5,994 |
| Office & administrative expenses | $608 |
| Personnel allocation | $42,064 |
| Professional services & consulting | $156 |
| Other administrative expenses | $88 |
Deployment of Resources:
More Than $5.1 MILLION in rescued food delivered to nonprofit partners
Each year, Kentucky Harvest rescues and distributes more than 2.5 million pounds of food at no cost to nonprofit partners. In 2025, the value of in-kind food distributed totaled more than $5.1 million, providing critical food resources to nonprofit partners across our community.
Our Food Rescue Journey
Kentucky Harvest helps to stretch resources for nonprofits, serving those facing hunger with dignity and compassion.
FOOD DONORS
Restaurants, grocery stores, caterers, food manufacturers, farms and distributors donate surplus food vs. throwing it away.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers use our intuitive mobile app to coordinate and complete food rescues, quickly and efficiently.
TRANSPORT
Food is picked up promptly and delivered to a local nonprofit partner promptly, ensuring freshness and safety.
PARTNERS
Partner Agencies (food pantries, shelters, community kitchens, etc.) distribute food to those in need.
NEIGHBORS
Nutritious food reaches the table and not the landfills, making a real difference in our communities.
Over 2.5M
pounds of food rescued in 2025.
Over $5.1M Saved
by nonprofit partners, strengthening community resources.
GOOD FOR PEOPLE.
GOOD FOR OUR PLANET.
Every pound of food we rescue helps create a healthier world.
8 MILLION
Pounds of CO₂ Prevented
Creating the equivalent of planting 60,000 trees.
Environmental impact estimate based on ReFED data for Kentucky Harvest. Tree comparison calculated using U.S. EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies methodology.
THANK YOU
for helping us end food waste and hunger.
Board & Staff
Heather Suell Stewart – Executive Director
Aaron Moore – Food Rescue Program Manager
Michael Kolodziej – Director of Development & Digital Engagement
Felicia Adkins – Administrative Assistant
Meghan Kontic – Food Rescue Operations Associate
Cindy Adkins, Chair – Retired from Cardinal Health
Erin Rasinen, Vice Chair – Messer Construction Co.
Grant Lewis, Secretary – Deloitte
Christopher Black, Finance Chair – Inside Real Estate
Rebecca Boylan – Optum
Andrea Brady – American Printing House for the Blind
Chad Clark – Papa John’s International
Brian Crilly – Papa John’s International
Matt Ferreri – Brighthouse Financial
Emir Galajoatovic – Humana
Shane Schlatter – Exodus Family Ministries
A Message from our Executive Director
Dear Friends,
This year reminded us that hope grows when a community comes together.
Heather Suell Stewart
Executive Director, Kentucky Harvest
Be Part Of The Solution
You can help us rescue more food and feed more neighbors.
DONATE FUNDS
Your gift will help us save perfectly good food and put it on tables vs. landfills.
DONATE FOOD
Please note we only accept food from businesses and cannot accept food from private households.
HOST A DRIVE
Hosting a food drive is one of the most effective ways your company, school, church, or civic organization can help.
Celebrating Our Food Donors
Every pound rescued begins with a generous food donor. We recognize the businesses and organizations whose surplus food helped nourish our community in 2025.
Our Nonprofit Partners
Rescued food reaches our neighbors through nonprofit organizations serving communities across Kentuckiana.
Financial Donors
Our financial supporters help fuel every food rescue, strengthen our network, and extend our impact across Kentuckiana. We are grateful to every donor who makes this work possible.
