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Cultivating sustainable food systems that help people and the planet flourish through innovative partnerships that eliminate food waste and hunger. 

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At Waste Not, we believe that good food should never go to waste while people go hungry. For more than 35 years, we've been on a mission to eliminate food waste and hunger in Arizona by rescuing fresh, nutritious food and delivering it directly to organizations that serve people in need.

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Every day, perfectly good food is discarded by businesses, events, and restaurants—not because it's inedible, but because it’s surplus. Instead of letting this food end up in landfills, we intercept it and redistribute it to community organizations that provide meals to people facing hunger. Our innovative food rescue model ensures that thousands of pounds of food reach shelters, senior centers, schools, and nonprofits across the Valley the same day it’s rescued.

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How We Work

  • We rescue surplus perishable food from grocery stores, caterers, event venues, and businesses.

  • Our fleet of refrigerated vehicles transports food safely and efficiently, ensuring quality and freshness.

  • We distribute food at no cost to more than 85 nonprofit partners serving individuals and families in need.

  • By keeping food out of landfills, we also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, making a positive impact on the environment.​

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Beyond our daily food rescue efforts, we play a key role in recovering surplus food from large-scale events held in the Valley. From major sporting events to community gatherings, we work behind the scenes to ensure that excess food is redirected to feed people, not landfills. Our team has helped rescue thousands of pounds of food from high-profile events like the WM Phoenix Open, the Final Four, and the Super Bowl, ensuring that every opportunity to reduce food waste and nourish our community is maximized.

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Why It Matters

In Arizona, 1 in 10 people are food insecure, yet nearly 40% of all food goes to waste. Waste Not bridges this gap, turning excess into impact by providing millions of meals each year while promoting sustainability.

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Join Us

It takes all of us to create a world where food is not wasted, and everyone has access to nutritious meals. Whether you donate, volunteer, or partner with us, you play a vital role in making a difference.

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Together, we can build a stronger, more sustainable Arizona—one meal at a time.

 

Partners in Purpose

 

In 2019, we joined forces with United Food Bank, a leading hunger relief organization in Arizona. This partnership allows us to increase our impact, expand food distribution, and work more efficiently to fight hunger and food waste together. By leveraging United Food Bank’s resources and infrastructure, we can rescue and redistribute even more food, ensuring that fresh, high-quality meals reach those who need them most—faster and more effectively.

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Board of Directors 

Waste Not's Board of Directors consists of professionals from the local business community. Our community leaders oversee the fiduciary responsibilities of Waste Not, act as policy makers, and ensure that Waste Not receives enough funding to sustain its mission. These board members bring a wealth of talent from their professional backgrounds, including finance, banking, legal, creative services, public relations, insurance, operations and fundraising.

Chris Wodarcyk Board President for Waste Not
CHRISTOPHER
WODARCYK

BOARD PRESIDENT

 

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Service Operations Manager,

Empire Southwest, LLC

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Carly
Weil

BOARD TREASURER​

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VP of Operational Excellence, Amex

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BILL
KINGMAN

BOARD MEMBER

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Phoenix Market Lead,

Mill

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Christina Dicksen Board Member forWaste Not
CHRISTINA
DICKSEN

BOARD MEMBER

 

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Director of Communications,

Experience Scottsdale

Linde Harned Board Member for Waste Not
LINDE
HARNED

BOARD MEMBER

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VP Consultant,

People Ink

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Jennifer Wargo Board Member for Waste Not
JENNIFER WARGO

BOARD MEMBER

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Communications Director

Waste Management,

Four Corners Area

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Our Team

Waste Not's team is lean & efficient.

We are a dedicated group with a passion for our work. 

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Mara
Pernick

Executive Director

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MPernick@wastenotaz.org

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Tonia
Smith

Development Manager

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tonia@wasnotaz.org

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Christopher
Bodnar

Director of Agency Network​

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cbodnar@unitedfoodbank.org

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Marc Rosso

Director of Retail & Innovation​

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marcrosso@unitedfoodbank.org

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James
Boman

Food Sourcing Specialist

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foodrescue@wastenotaz.org

Michele Roy
Michele
Roy

Grants Manager

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development@wastenotaz.org

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Miranda 
Rodriguez

Marketing & PR

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media@wastenotaz.org

Tim Hunt Professional Driver for Waste Not
Tim
Hunt

Professional 

Driver

Angel Castellanos Professional Driver for Waste Not
Angel 
Castellanos 

Professional 

Driver

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Orlando
Medina

Professional 

Driver

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Keith
Farley

Professional 

Driver

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