Arizona nonprofit Waste Not is excited to announce that it is now the recipient of a new E-transit refrigerated van and charging station gifted by Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program to support picking up fresh food and redistributing to those in need.

On Dec. 11, 2025, both Waste Not staff and Whole Foods Market team members at the Whole Foods Market Tempe store celebrated by filling the van to the brim with donated products to go to those experiencing food insecurity.

“We are honored to be a recipient of Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhood program,” said Mara Pernick, executive director of Waste Not. “This refrigerated van is more than just a vehicle; it is a lifeline. It will allow our drivers to safely transport fresh, nutritious food across the Valley, ensuring it reaches families, veterans, and individuals who might otherwise go without.”

Arizona leads the nation in food waste, with more than $9.5 billion worth of food discarded each year. At the same time, one in seven Arizonans struggles with hunger, uncertain about where their next meal will come from.

“We’re so thrilled to expand our relationship with Waste Not and further support their food rescue efforts to nourish the Phoenix community,” said Stacy McLean, Store Team Leader for Whole Foods Market Tempe. 

Whole Foods Market launched Nourishing Our Neighborhoods in September 2020 and has donated 90 refrigerated vans to food rescue partners to transport food to communities across the U.S. and Canada.

Waste Not is working to change that.

For over 35 years, Waste Not has been on a mission to eliminate food waste and hunger in Arizona by rescuing surplus food and delivering it directly to organizations that serve people in need. In 2024 alone, Waste Not diverted 2.7 million pounds of edible food from landfills and helped feed Arizonans facing food insecurity.

 Learn more about Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program HERE and how Waste Not is nourishing the community HERE.