PHOTO COURTESY 412 FOOD RESCUE

For more than nine years, the nonprofit 412 Food Rescue has been working to keep good food out of landfills by mobilizing an army of volunteers to pick up excess food from grocery stores, schools and entertainment events and delivering it to people experiencing food insecurity. In all, it has recovered more than 31 million pounds of food, the equivalent of more than 26 million meals.

The actions have mitigated more than 60 million pounds of CO2 emissions in the process.

ALYSSA CHOLODOFSKY | PHOTO BY JASON COHN

So leaders say it’s fitting that they have chosen April 22 — Earth Day — to welcome Alyssa Cholodofsky as their new chief executive. 

Cholodofsky, who has served in executive roles at the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and worked at other nonprofits, takes the helm after co-founder and CEO Leah Lizarondo stepped down in 2023. 

“We are evolving from a small but mighty start-up into our next phase, growing our leadership team to continue strengthening both our local operations in the innovative tech hub that is Pittsburgh and leading a national transformation on how we approach both food waste and hunger,” Jennifer England, 412 Food Rescue’s vice president of external affairs said in a statement.

In one of its most notable advances, 412 Food Rescue has developed the Food Rescue Hero app, which has assisted similar food rescue initiatives across the country and Canada. Seventeen nonprofit organizations are now part of the Food Rescue Hero network. More than 51,000 volunteer drivers registered in the app have recovered over 160 million pounds of food.

Related: Pittsburgh Nonprofit Profile: 412 Food Rescue

“As a longtime admirer of 412 Food Rescue, I am thrilled to join this amazing organization, which has had a profound impact in Pittsburgh and across the country through its innovative approach to the interconnected challenges of food waste and hunger,” Cholodofsky said in a statement. “This work has never been more urgent, and I’m proud to be part of an organization that is trailblazing a truly effective path forward.”  

In addition to her work with the United Way, Cholodofsky has held leadership roles at Family Services of Western Pennsylvania, the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America and the Veterans Leadership Program in Pittsburgh.

“Alyssa’s deep roots in our community and her multifaceted history of organizational leadership make her an ideal steward for 412 Food Rescue as it takes on this next phase of growth,” said Beth A. Slagle, board chair.