Today at the World Food Prize Foundation’s Iowa Hunger Summit, MEANS Database announced their acquisition of Des Moines-based food rescue app ChowBank. Since its debut in 2015, ChowBank helped users like Eat Greater Des Moines as the organization rescued nearly twenty million pounds of food that were redirected to feed food insecure Iowans.
ChowBank’s acquisition provides MEANS Database with a proven, easy to use, food rescue app that can handle the user growth it has achieved through innovative partnerships with organizations like Grubhub. It will help the nonprofit continue to grow and support its nationwide network of users.
“Few get the opportunity to help so many in times of need,” said Draper of ChowBank. “Being able to hand our efforts off so Sammie [Paul] and the MEANS team can maximize ChowBank’s potential is beyond exciting.”
The MEANS Database acquisition of ChowBank will be seamless for current users and organizations, with users and organizations able to donate and accept rescued food as normal. As ChowBank is fully integrated into the MEANS Database technology suite, users will see more options to engage with more communities across the nation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will users on ChowBank have to sign up for MEANS?
No, your Chowbank account will continue to operate as usual. You can still donate and receive food without signing up for MEANS.
Does MEANS Database serve my area?
MEANS has users in all 50 states, with particular areas that serve as hubs for our food rescue work. To learn about these areas, or to find out how your community can become a hub, read more here.
I’d like to learn more about MEANS and ChowBank and how I can get involved. Who should I contact?
You can email the MEANS team at hello@foodrecovery.org or call them at (202)449-1507.
How can I support the work of MEANS Database?
You can support MEANS by asking your favorite restaurants, grocery stores, and other food producers to join. You can also financially support MEANS by donating here.
For press inquiries contact Zoey Jordan Salsbury at zoey@foodrecovery.org. A press kit with more quotes, photos, and logos available here: https://m-db.co/chowbank-means-press-kit