Leftovers from UT games make way to stomachs of Knoxville homeless

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - It’s football time in Tennessee, as almost one hundred thousand people file in and out of Neyland Stadium to cheer on the Vols.

Inside the walls of the hallowed grounds are vendors selling food, and Vol Dining catering skyboxes and events being held at the popular stadium.

A realization is some of that food will not be consumed.

In steps, the University of Tennessee Culinary Institute and others, to see that the leftovers, aren’t wasted.

”All of these different entities on campus come together to save food on campus from those games and then donate them to KARM and other entities in town,” said Tyler White, the program manager of the University of Tennessee Culinary Institute.

Following Tennessee’s home game against Pitt, the Culinary Institute and Office of Sustainability collected nearly 1,300 pounds of leftover food.

The groups organized it, wrapped it, and sorted it, eventually donating 1,000 pounds of it, to Knox Area Rescue Ministries.

”Our guests love something different. You know last night we served some of that and they kept coming back for seconds and thirds so it was wonderful,” said Liz Galloway, the director of kitchen services at KARM.

Wednesday night KARM served pork tenderloins, buffalo chicken mac and cheese, and a tossed salad, all from the kitchens on the campus of the University of Tennessee and prepared for Vol football games.

”We do believe here at KARM that all relationships do begin with a meal,” said Galloway.

Foods like pork tenderloin, and buffalo chicken, are rare for a food pantry like KARM, but this alone can prove it doesn’t have to be the same food served all the time.

”So we’re trying to break the stigma of what a food pantry is and what rescued food is. Everybody when we told them what we’re doing, they think rescued food is popcorn, nachos, and hot dogs because that’s what the average fan sees when they go, but what they don’t see is what Vol dining is doing in the skyboxes and those events and that’s where the food comes from,” said White.

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