New Green Initiatives

Feeding 1,000 meals each week to hungry kids also means we need plates, cups, bowls, and utensils. In an effort to be better stewards to the environment, we've begun using certified compostable plates and bowls for all our meals.To discuss this new initiative, we sat down with Director of Sustainability for Patachou Inc. and The Patachou Foundation, Rachael Hoover Lekic."With kids," says Hoover, "everything you do is kind of setting an expectation for them... for their future. It's important for them to see people doing things according to a value system."Hoover says her goal is to go beyond recycling, composting, and other systems that deal with waste. "The best way to lessen any environmental and human health impact is to avoid the creation of waste to begin with.""I've been so impressed by the kids' curiosity about composting," says volunteer for The Patachou Foundation, Kat Gering. "I've had some great conversations with the students about how composting works and it's so encouraging to me to see young people taking an interest in becoming responsible stewards of the planet."In the future, the Foundation will move to metal eating utensils that can be washed and reused to reduce our footprint even further.