Chicago Food Rescue on Fighting Hunger Differently | Jake Tepperman

In this special Podcasthon episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Jake Tepperman, founder of Chicago Food Rescue, a nonprofit that rescues fresh, perishable food — produce, baked goods, prepared meals — from grocery stores, corporate offices, restaurants, and events, and delivers it directly to community organizations that feed people in need. No physical location. No warehouse. Just a network of volunteers, a powerful app, and a mission that is quietly changing how Chicago thinks about food waste and food access.Podcasthon is the world’s largest annual charity podcast event in mid-March. Podcasters around the globe are releasing episodes to support non-profits and causes they believe in. Jake and Sarah discuss how a Shabbat dinner tradition and seven years working at 412 Food Rescue in Pittsburgh led him to bring this food rescue model to Chicago — and what it took to build it from scratch in just a year and a half.Jake is one of those founders who isn't doing this for the glory. He's doing it because he saw a disconnect — a city full of food and people going hungry — and realized his background in supply chain and logistics was exactly what was needed to bridge it. In 2025 alone, Chicago Food Rescue completed over 1,100 rescues, moving more than 250,000 pounds of food and providing the equivalent of 208,000 meals across 44 nonprofit community partners.This conversation covers the mechanics of how food rescue actually works, the difference between food rescue and food banking, what it has looked like on the ground in Chicago as SNAP access was threatened, and why Jake believes hunger is not a supply problem — it's a logistics problem.It's also just a really lovely conversation about what it means to show up for your community, build something from nothing, and let the work speak for itself.In this episode, we cover:Growing up with Shabbat dinners and the family table that shaped his relationship with foodHis corporate career, early volunteering in Pittsburgh, and finding 412 Food RescueBuilding emergency food response infrastructure during COVIDWhat makes food rescue different from food banks and food pantriesHow the three-way coordination between food donors, volunteers, and nonprofit recipients actually worksThe Chicago Food Rescue app — and how it removes every barrier to volunteering2025 by the numbers: 250,000+ pounds of food, 208,000 meals, 1,100+ rescuesWhat happened in Chicago as SNAP restrictions tightened — and why food rescue is only part of the solutionHow one organization saved $40,000 in food costs and hired a caseworker because of food rescueHis advice for anyone starting something new: just start, even before you have it all figured outHow to get involved:Download the Chicago Food Rescue app (Google Play or App Store) to volunteer or set up a food rescueFor more information and to donate: chicagofoodrescue.orgInstagram/Facebook/LinkedIn: @chicagofoodrescue_Want to become involved with Podcasthon? Head to podcasthon.orgSubscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for our newsletter!