The Food Studies theme, Food Matters student club, and the Athens Vegan Cooking Workshop host a free screening of the documentary Wasted! The Story of Food Waste on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Athena Cinema on Court Street.
A brief panel discussion follows the film, with Ohio University junior Hannah Stillions, alumni Nanda Filkin ’13M of Athens Food Waste, and alumni Nicole Kirchner ’16M of the Zero-Waste Initiative. This event is free and open to the public. All are welcome!
Sillions is a junior at Ohio University studying studying Economics with a minor in Math and an Environmental Studies Certificate. She took CAS 1300 during her freshman year and has been interested in Food Studies ever since! She has volunteered at the Grover Atrium student farmer’s market and is currently working on food waste research under the Zero Waste Team at the Voinovich School. She is currently working with Community Food Initiatives as their Community Orchards Intern as well.
Filkin and Kirchner both earned the M.S. in Plant Biology from the College of Arts & Sciences at OHIO.
Nanda Filkin
“I have always been interested in food security, nutrition and the prevention of food waste,” says Filkin, who is a product development associate at Quidel. “I came to Athens in 2001 as a master’s student in Environmental & Plant Biology. I was saddened to see the poverty and lack of programs to feed the area’s people in need.
“Over the course of the last 16 years, I have been impressed by how many food pantries, kitchens and food rescue groups have been started and are thriving. One of these is a small (but growing) non-profit group called Athens Food Rescue. I joined 2½ years ago as a volunteer and board member along with Teresa Curtiss (founder and president) and Adele Hanson (vice-president),” Filkin says.
“Athens Food Rescue works to bridge the gap between area businesses, farmers and restaurants and local food kitchens, pantries and people in need. Together we have save over 42,000 lbs of food from being wasted. This equates to approximately 35,000 meals. Currently we have around 12 volunteers that pick up and deliver to roughly 12 locations. We are hoping to expand as our name becomes better known. This group, although small, has already accomplished so much but we hope to do so much more. This includes helping provide healthier foods with more variety as well as accepting food from more donors. As an avid bike commuter, I would also like to start transporting food in uptown Athens via bicycle and carriage. This small contribution to the local community is how I hope to make a difference in the area’s food security and prevention of food waste,” she adds.
Kirchner is an environmental specialist engaged in projects surrounding energy and the environment at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in botany from Ohio Wesleyan University and her master’s in Plant Biology from OHIO.
She has almost 15 years of experience and training in ecological research and environmental education in Ohio, Wyoming and Australia, including serving as a secondary science educator in Florida and outreach programming coordinators in Arizona and Idaho.
Kirchner currently co-facilitates a regional subcommittee on construction and demolition debris recycling, co-manages the OHIO Zero Waste Initiative, and supports several additional projects related to waste, water, energy, and the environment.
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