Second Chance Foods was founded in March 2016 by Alison Jolicoeur. The previous year, Jolicoeur had viewed a segment of John Oliver’s show Last Week Tonight about food waste and immediately felt compelled to act. The organization’s impact has grown each year, with the pandemic highlighting the precarious nature of food access in the Hudson Valley. Given the gap between the federal poverty level and the actual living standards and expenses in our area, thousands of neighbors are struggling to put food on their table. Determined to address this issue, as well as breaking the cycle of wasted food and food insecurity, Second Chance Foods has dedicated itself to elevating the health of people and the planet by recovering nutrient dense food from local sources and providing it to organizations that address hunger. Food is collected from grocery stores, local farms, orchards and other organizations that have a surplus. These fresh groceries and prepared meals are then provided to neighbors in need through hunger relief organizations, food partners and during Second Chance Foods’ weekly distribution. Over 6,500 pounds of food is picked up and delivered to the Second Chance Food Kitchen in an average week. During FeedHV’s partnership with Second Chance Foods, the organization has donated over 22,000 pounds of food through the FeedHV network and has received over 10,000 pounds.