From Surplus to Support: Celebrating Our ReCover Leaders

Every pound of food rescued represents more than a number. It represents fresh produce, dairy, bread, prepared meals, and other essential groceries reaching a local family instead of going to waste.

From April through June, The Community Market received and distributed 289,164 pounds of food through food recovery, corporate and individual donations, food drives, and Totes of Hope. Of that total, an incredible 184,807 pounds were recovered from local grocery stores, restaurants, resorts, and food businesses.

This impact is possible because businesses throughout our valley make a deliberate choice to share their surplus food with their neighbors. Their consistency allows The Community Market to provide greater variety, freshness, and nutrition to the more than 6,000 people who now access our programs each week.

April–June ReCover Leaders

Leading this quarter’s food recovery efforts were:

1. Costco Wholesale Corporation — 80,936 pounds
2. Walmart — 37,175 pounds
3. City Market Vail — 15,951 pounds
4. City Market Avon — 11,419 pounds
5. City Market Eagle — 9,894 pounds

Together, these five partners recovered more than 155,000 pounds of food in just three months.

We are also grateful for the continued contributions of Village Market, The Market at Vail, Ridley’s, Safeway, Vail Resorts, Avon Bakery, Alpine Vending, Beaver Creek Market, La Choza, Beaver Creek Food and Beverage Warehouse, Maverik, Peak Farms, Bimbo, Chasing Rabbits, Tailwind Concessions, Starbucks Avon, and many others.

Each pickup matters. Whether a partner contributes thousands of pounds every week or occasionally calls us when food is available, every donation strengthens our local food recovery system.

A Community-Wide Effort

Food recovery is only one part of this story. During the quarter, The Community Market also received significant food donations from businesses, schools, organizations, and individual community members.

Partners including Eagle County School District, Vail Mountain Club, The Sebastian–Vail, 106 West Logistics, Vail Mountain School, Two Arrows, Kitchen Collage, Kingfisher Distributing, Vail Valley Foundation, Mountain Recreation, and Red Sandstone Elementary helped contribute additional food to local families.

Individual donors and community friends contributed nearly 2,000 pounds, while the Totes of Hope program distributed another 4,618 pounds of food to help ensure local students had nutritious options outside of school hours.

This collective effort demonstrates what is possible when businesses, schools, residents, volunteers, and nonprofit partners work together toward a shared goal.

Food Rescue Strengthens Our Entire Community

Food waste and food insecurity may seem like separate challenges, but ReCover helps address both at the same time.

Through ReCover, high-quality food that might otherwise be discarded is collected, inspected, sorted, and made available through The Community Market’s locations and outreach programs. This helps families access healthy food while allowing local businesses to reduce waste and contribute directly to community well-being.

It also gives families greater choice. Recovered products help us offer the fresh produce, meat, dairy, bread, prepared foods, and culturally relevant ingredients that create a more welcoming and dignified shopping experience.

Behind every recovered pound is a team of drivers, staff members, volunteers, and food partners coordinating pickups, safely transporting products, stocking shelves, and making sure food reaches families quickly.

Thank You to Our ReCover Community

To every grocery store employee who sets food aside, every restaurant team that calls when surplus meals are available, every school that organizes a donation, and every volunteer who helps sort and stock—we are deeply grateful.

The ReCover leaderboard celebrates impressive numbers, but its greatest value is the community commitment those numbers represent.

Together, our partners transformed surplus into nourishment, reduced unnecessary waste, and helped thousands of Eagle County neighbors bring healthy food home.

Businesses and organizations interested in becoming a ReCover partner can contact The Community Market to learn how surplus food can become part of a stronger, healthier, and more sustainable Eagle County.