The Mission
Behind every meal that is thrown away is an individual whose story could have changed.
Every year, restaurants across the United States throw away thousands of pounds of perfectly edible food. This is done not because the food is unsafe to eat but because it is unsellable by the end of the day. At the same time, millions of individuals and families are struggling with food insecurity, not knowing when their next meal will be. This is especially so due to rising food prices and changes to food stamps/SNAP benefits. Leftnomore was created in response to this growing crisis.
As a 16 year old student at Bergen County Technical Highschool in Teterboro in the Culinology program I have learned the science behind food but also how much of it has gone to waste. Reading about the issue of SNAP benefits and how much people in my area were struggling, this really drove me to create Leftnomore.
The goal of Leftnomore is to transform the surplus of food from restaurants into safe, well-packaged meals for people facing food insecurity to enjoy. I believe that in a community food waste and hunger should not coexist. Leftnomore provides support to families affected by the food stamp cuts.
The message we want to put into the world is that “Why call something trash when it is perfectly good? Behind every meal that is thrown away is an individual whose story could have changed.”
LeftNoMore is needed now more than ever with food insecurity rising, restaurant waste remaining high, and many families struggling with the ever so cracking support system. By connecting restaurants willing to donate leftovers without our team who is able to repurpose them safely we are able to fill this gap within the community.
Meet Our Founders
Aiden Tang
Caroline Nam
Joonyoung Choi
Elias Lee
Founder & Operations
I'm Aiden Tang, founder of Leftnomore and a 16-year-old student in the Culinology program at Bergen County Technical Schools. Taking the culinology couse made me realize how much food goes to waste, and seeing families in my community struggle with food insecurity and SNAP benefit cuts made me want to do something about it.
Leftnomore partners with local restaurants to collect surplus food at the end of each day and repurpose it into fufilling meals for people who need them. I started this because I believe food waste and hunger shouldn't exist side by side. When I'm not coordinating donations, I'm still in the kitchen making food for myself or ones I care about, playing Valorant or other games with friends and just trying to live a life I will enjoy.
Co-Founder & Culinary Lead
Hello! I’m Caroline Nam, Co-President of LeftNoMore and a sophomore at the Academy of the Holy Angels. Growing up, I became increasingly aware of how much food is wasted everyday, while many people in our communities struggle with food insecurity. I wanted to help connect those two issues and make a meaningful impact. Through LeftNoMore, I work to reduce food waste and help provide meals to those in need. I am passionate about bringing people together to support our community and create simple, sustainable solutions that make a difference.
business development lead
Hi, I’m Joonyoung Choi, a sophomore at Tenafly High School and a student volunteer at LeftNoMore. As a high school student, I saw the two critical issues of food waste and food insecurity and felt a responsibility to act. Through LeftNoMore, I’m grateful for the opportunity to help reduce food waste and bridge the gap to those in need, fostering a more sustainable and compassionate community. I believe that small, consistent actions can lead to big changes, and I’m dedicated to making a positive, lasting impact alongside such an inspiring team.
Community Service Lead
I'm Elias Lee, co-founder of Leftmore and a student at Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest. Since my dad owns a bagel store, I've always been aware of how much perfectly good food can be left over at the end of the day. Ever since I was younger, I believed there had to be a better way to get that food to people who need it instead of letting it go to waste. That idea inspired me to help start Leftnomore, where we're connecting restaurants with food shelters to give extra food a second chance. One of my favorite parts of building this nonprofit has been seeing how a simple idea can bring people together to solve a real problem. Outside of Leftnomore, I like to play golf, hang out with my friends, and reconnect with my family.