SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — A mother and son have cooked up a plan to cut down on food waste and fight food insecurity.
What You Need To Know
- 360 Eats was started to help cut down on food waste and to fight food insecurity
- The mobile soup kitchen is run by Cameron Macleish and his mother, Master Chef Ellen Macliesh
- The organization's efforts have been hindered lately because their delivery truck was damaged when it was totaled in a crash
But '360 Eats' is now dealing with another setback — a damaged delivery truck.
In the back of his Kia Soul, 360 Eats founder Cameron Macleish collects food waste and delivers fresh meals.
The trips are more frequent now since their van was rear-ended and totaled.
"Its unfortunate because we have a lot of people who do rely on our meals," said Macleish.
He runs the kitchen with his mother, Master Chef Ellen Macliesh.
"Its considered food insecure," she said. "Either they don't know where their next meal is coming from or they aren't certain that they will be able to feed themselves and their family."
Julie Ann Adams, 80, of Safety Harbor understands that struggle.
"I go to the food bank cause I'm living on a very fixed income," said Adams.
Adams was was one of the first clients of the mobile gourmet soup kitchen that partners with restaurants to save food that would otherwise be tossed out. They also compost anything that is no longer edible.
At a time when they feel they should expand to help more people like Adams, doing so without a van has been difficult.
"Its really slowed down our operations in the past month," said Cameron.
Yet there's still an effort to connect with the community.
Adams hopes more people will be able to experience.
"It saves me on electricity all I have to do is warm it up," said Adams "They have helped me so much."
Cameron Macleish said 360 Eats is hosting a community brunch on May 2, 2021.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards purchasing a new van.