As part of a new partnership, Eat Greater Des Moines has transferred its Food Rescue Program to Supply Hive.

Supply Hive, a Des Moines-based mutual aid organization dedicated to overall well-being and sustainability, assumed operations of the Food Rescue Program last week, helping relieve some financial pressure from Eat Greater Des Moines.

Food rescue includes gathering donated, excess food that would otherwise be thrown away from food service providers and giving it to people who need it.

Zakariyah Hill, executive director of Supply Hive, said through the organization’s existing partnership with United Way of Central Iowa, as well as with help from individual donors and Eat Greater Des Moines, Supply Hive was able to secure enough funding and support to take control of the program.

The program will add about $5,000 in monthly expenses, Hill said.

The transfer of the Food Rescue Program will include a staff member from Eat Greater Des Moines joining, and assets such as access to warehouse space, cold storage, a vehicle and the app.

“So far, we’ve secured what we need to, but we definitely still have goals to continue fundraising, continue grant finding, in order to make sure that Food Rescue lives on and is sustainable for a long time,” Hill said.

Supply Hive’s short-term goals include keeping the Food Rescue Program running as it was before the transfer and maintaining and increasing volunteer numbers.

Long term, Hill hopes to see the organization’s supply chain expand from food to all essential supplies and getting them into the hands of those who need them most, as well as opening up a community market store further down the road.