CRRA 2023 Conference and Trade Show

Engagement & Resilience Division Lead

Brennen currently serves as Engagement & Resilience Division Lead for Blue Strike Environmental, a consultancy delivering award-winning strategies, innovation, technical analysis, communications, and development services for sustainability, climate change, zerowaste and energy. She brings two decades of experience creating localized and scalable climate solutions for government, private and non-profit organizations. Brennen has a MS in Biomimicry from Arizona State University and Biomimicry3.8, a BS in Environmental Science Technology and a BA in Spanish from Humboldt State University. Brennen has cooperative facilitative approach that seeks to find creative solutions to complex problems, while expanding localized zerowaste, climate and resilience opportunities.

Collaborative Planning for Edible Food Recovery

This presentation will provide an overview of the collaborative planning approach undertaken by Salinas Valley Recycles and ReGen Monterey in the highly agricultural and hospitality focused region of Monterey County, with a focus on how the region is engaging the local food rescue network to understand, quantify and build Edible Food Recovery (EFR) capacity to address food scarcity, hunger prevention and organics diversion. This session will include the approach utilized to complete the EFR Capacity Planning Assessment, estimatation of organics and edible food generation within the two waste districts comprising 13 jurisdictions utilizing waste characterization study data, the outreach efforts conducted with nearly 100 local food rescue organizations to assess existing capacity and gaps, and how these findings are being utilized to guide implementation of EFR program rollout throughout the region. The session will feature innovative collaborative strategies including regional planning structures, cost-sharing, data management, collections, and unified education and outreach strategies that are bridging the gaps across jurisdictions, industries, haulers, food rescue organizations and generators. 

CEO

Alyson brings an intimate knowledge of zero food waste to powerfully move initiatives forward. She continues to thrive at the heart of shaping and advocating for city, county, and statewide policies and support for food waste prevention. With a background in volunteer management, gleaning, sustainable event production, environmental service-learning leadership in educational institutions, and restaurant management, Alyson combines experiences from across the food waste chain to create meaningful and comprehensive waste reduction programs. Alyson is the CEO of the food donation app, Careit. She’s passionate about reconnecting all members of a community and healing through food.

Collaborative Network Solutions to Increase Edible Food Donations

Networked markets are transforming the economy and culture all around us. It would only make sense that food recovery could benefit from a united platform as well. Careit has embarked on a journey to digitize and unite the food donation industry right on time for SB 1383, and dozens of jurisdictions are joining. Among these jurisdictions, Monterey County is working with Careit to launch a localized digital application platform to provide unified coverage throughout the region, as a tool to facilitate increased edible food donation. Using data, logistics management, and compliance shortcuts as the value proposition, Careit is offering an easy and user-friendly approach to connect businesses generating edible food for donation with food rescue organizations working to secure edible food for distribution. Unique market elements provide ready agreement documentation, data collection, integration with local data management systems, and connections to transportation services to further facilitate donation pickup and delivery. This session will highlight Careit's efforts in Monterey County as well as lessons learned from additional implementation areas throughout California and beyond.

Sustainability Event Manager

Building Capacity Within Your Local Food Rescue Network

Local food rescue networks have a long-standing commitment to solving for food scarcity, alleviating hunger and uplifting communities in need. Leveraging the existing food rescue network, understanding their resources, needs and gaps, and collaboratively working to increase their capacity is the basis of the Edible Food Recovery approach being adopted in the Monterey Bay region. Utilizing the findings from the local capacity assessment and funding allocated through regional cost-sharing, Blue Strike Environmental worked with Salinas Valley Recycles and ReGen Monterey to create the first regional capacity building grant program to assist food rescue organization's in acquiring new materials, equipment, supplies and resources to receive, process and distribute increased quantities of recovered edible food, resulting from SB 1383. To date, the region has awarded nearly $200K to ten local food rescue organizations. The session will feature grantee testimonials highlighting specific improvements being accomplished by this program, and how this work supports equity, inclusion and diversity to alleviate hunger. The session will be joined by Joan Dresser, Parish Administrator of St. George’s Episcopal Church, Lt. Ezequiel from Salinas Salvation Army, as well as Jill Allen, Executive Director of Dorothy's Place, a grantee's whose organization is dedicated to providing essential services and transitional support to people experiencing the injustice of homelessness and extreme poverty, as they share insights helping to guide the region forward.  

Resource Recovery Manager