Written by Rosie Bostian, April 2025

 Alicia Menduni, an Environmental Science major and Assistant Manager for the Ithaca College Eco Reps, has played a key role in expanding the college’s food recovery program. While working at the Campus Center dining hall, Alicia recognized the opportunity to launch a food recovery initiative. As she gained a deeper understanding of the dining hall operations and protocols, she built a strong relationship with the Campus Center dining hall manager.  Alicia then connected with Friendship Donations Network to develop a plan for the program. Working alongside fellow students and faculty, they crafted a proposal that minimized the additional burden on the already short-staffed dining hall team. 

Throughout the week, dining hall staff place surplus food on trays and set it aside in a cooler rather than composting it. On Fridays, Eco Reps coordinate volunteers to visit the dining hall, where they package, label, and weigh the recovered meals. These meals are then collected by volunteers from Friendship Donations Network and delivered to shelters and homes across the Ithaca community. (Stay tuned for a future spotlight on FDN volunteer Emily A. who is responsible for distributing the IC meals every Friday.)

The food recovery program first took shape in Spring 2023, during Alicia’s sophomore year. Now a senior, Alicia has played a major role in its continued impact. As of April 1st, the Campus Center dining hall has recovered and distributed over 12,260 pounds of food, diverting it from the waste stream. The program now averages 295 pounds of food donated each week, and attracts around 12 volunteers each Friday. It has become a fun event that volunteers look forward to each week. 

This initiative has opened the door to several new opportunities, including collaborations with the campus food pantry to keep some recovered meals on campus, increased donations from on-campus cafés, and the recovery of surplus food from Hillel’s Shabbat dinners and catered events. Alicia’s leadership has also inspired broader food recovery efforts across campus, including the creation of a similar system in Terraces, Ithaca College’s other main dining hall.

Outside of her work with food recovery, Alicia is also an active member of the college’s highly successful club Ultimate Frisbee team and is a part of South Hill Forest Products, a student-run business committed to offering high-quality non-timber forest products.

Congratulations to Alicia on her recent graduation from IC!