Atlanta startup Goodr is working to stop food waste and hunger

To achieve this, Goodr employs tech wizardry worthy of a startup, with an app for partner companies to schedule surplus food pickup, and ... 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HomeNews&OpinionAtlantastartupGoodrisworkingtostopfoodwasteandhunger LutheranteammembersAlexandriaGilesandLeisaMinoratGoodr’sfreegrocerystoreatLutheranTowersPhotographbyRachelGarbusIfyoustepofftheelevatoronthebasementfloorofLutheranTowers,theseniorresidentialcommunityinMidtown,you’llfindwhatlookslikealittleNewYork-stylebodega,minusthecat.Infact,it’sagrocerystore:afreegrocerystore—stockedwitheverythingfromfreshvegetablestolaundrydetergent—andopentoresidentsoftheTowerstodotheirshoppingonceaweek.Goodr’sfreegrocerystoreatLutheranTowersPhotographbyRachelGarbusGoodr’sfreegrocerystoreatLutheranTowersPhotographbyRachelGarbusThegrocery,whichopenedinJanuary,isanewpartnershipbetweenLutheranTowersandGoodr,alocalstartupspecializinginsustainablefoodwastemanagement.Goodrisatonceaconsultingcompany,helpinglargeplaceslikeHartsfield-JacksonAtlantaInternationalAirportfindbettersolutionsforsurplusfood,andafeedingprogram,byconnectingthatsurplusfoodtocommunitiesexperiencingfoodinsecurity.GoodrishelmedbyJasmineCrowe,whogrewthecompanyoutofaone-womanproject,hostingpop-uprestaurantsforpeopleexperiencinghomelessnessinAtlanta.CrowetoldAtlantathat,afteravideoofoneofherpop-upswentviral,“Peopleweresaying,Thisisamazing,whodonatedallthisfood?Andthetruthwas,nobodywas,Iwasjustcouponing,price-matching,andcookingallthefoodmyself.”Sherealizedifshecouldgetthefooddonated,shecouldscaletheproject,andGoodrwasborn.AccordingtotheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency,upto40percentoftheAmericanfoodsupplyisnevereaten,leadingto133billionpoundsofwastedfood.Meanwhile,theUSDAestimatesthatmorethan38millionpeopleintheU.S.liveinhouseholdsexperiencingfoodinsecurity,whichmeanstheydon’thavereliableaccesstonutritious,affordablefood.Goodr’smodelisbasedonthebeliefthatthosecrisesarenotonlyrelated,butthateachcanhelpsolvetheother.InaTEDTalkCrowedeliveredin2019,shesaid,“Hungerisn’tanissueofscarcity;it’saquestionoflogistics.”Toachievethis,Goodremploystechwizardryworthyofastartup,withanappforpartnercompaniestoschedulesurplusfoodpickup,andlogisticsconsultingtohelporganizationsreducelandfillwaste.Thedonationofexcessfoodistax-deductibleforpartnercompanies,nottomentionthedoseofsuperlativePR.Ontheotherend,thatsurplusgoestoGoodr’sfeedingprograms,includingmealdeliveryandstudentfeedinginitiatives.Tostockthegrocerystores,GoodrpartnerswithmajorbrandslikeKellogg’s,PepsiCo.,andAmazontopurchasediscountedfoodandhomegoods.Freshproduceisoftenprocuredthroughpartnershipswithlocalfarmers.“Itbringsbackdignityandindependence,”saidAlexandriaGiles,LutheranTower’sdirectorofsupportiveservices,onourtouroftheon-sitegrocerystore.“Alotofourresidentsareaginginplace,sobeingabletogotoagrocerystorerightherewheretheyliveisreallyspecial.”WhenImentionedGiles’spointaboutthedignityofgroceryshopping,Crowetoldmethat’sabedrockprincipleofhowGoodrfunctions.“That’sourwholemodel.We’rereallybigaboutgivingpeopletherespecttheydeservethenthey’reexperiencingfoodinsecurity.”Apartfromthefactthatnomoneyisexchanged,theexperiencefeelsmuchlikearegulargrocerystore:onmyrecentvisit,abakeryshelfwaslinedwithbagsofEnglishmuffinsandbagels,whileacoolerwasstockedwithbacon,butter,and—fortheultra-hipsilverset—almondmilk.Croweexplainedthatwhat’sonofferateachgrocerystorevariesdependingonwho’llbeusingit:Goodr’sothergroceryinAtlantaisinamiddleschool,andoffersmoresnackitemsandfoodsthatkidscanpreparethemselves,whiletheLutheranTowersstorehasmorecleaningitemsandsugar-freefoods.Onethoughtfultouchyouwon’tfindatyouraveragegrocery:arecipenook,featuringacomputerforresearch,stacksofcookbooks,andvintage-stylerecipeboxesstockedwithideas.Croweexplained,“Seniorsstilllovetocook.Isawavideoaboutamanwhostartedbakingwhenheturned90.Ithoughtthatwassocool!Whynotgivethemdifferentrecipestotry?”GoodrFounderandCEOJasmineCrowe(right)withAndreaCarter,VicePresident,CSRwiththeAtlantaHawks,atGoodr’s5thanniversarycelebrationPhotographbyAntonioCole/ParkHillMultimediaFromdayone,Lutheranresidentswerethrilledabouttheirnewgrocery,saidLeisaMinor,Lutheran’smanagerofsupportiveservices.“Seeingitall,itreallybroughtthemtotears,”shesaid.“Alotoftheseresidentshaveenduredalot.”Amajorityofresidentsarelow-income,manyrelyingon$15amonthinfoodstampstomeettheirgroceryneeds.“Thishelpsalot,”Minorsaid.Goodr,whichiscelebratingfiveyearsinbusiness,isgrowingrapidly.Thisyearthey’llbuild10-12newgrocerystores,atleasthalfofwhichwillbebuiltthroughanewpartnershipwithDenverpublicschoolsinColorado,andmoretocomeinBirminghamandAtlanta.Earlierthisyear,Goodr’steamcelebratedtheirfive-yearanniversaryandthelaunchofnewheadquartersinWestMidtown.Reflectingonherachievementsofar,Crowesaid,“I’mjustsoproudthatwe’restillhere.It’shardforbusinessestolastthislong;thefactthatwe’regrowingmakesmefeelreallygoodaboutwhat’snext.”WhileGoodr’sexpandingnationally,Croweintendstokeephercompanyinthecitythathelpedherlaunch.“IstartedfeedingpeopleonthestreetshereinAtlanta.Peoplehave100percentsupportedmefromtheverybeginning.It’sveryserendipitoustodotheworkwhereIbegandoingthework.”AdvertisementRELATEDARTICLESMOREFROMAUTHORGroundbreakers2019:13visionariesworkingforagreenerGeorgiaAcocktailfromkitchenscraps:Gunshow’sseason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