Rescue Mission counts leftovers as a blessing

Like many Utahns, the men and women served by the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake City sometimes dine on leftovers. But fortunately for them, they are often treated to some of the best leftovers anywhere in town.

For the past eight years, the Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment Group has donated thousands of pounds of food to the mission after almost every Utah Jazz and Salt Lake Bees game or other events at which the company's staff prepares meals, said vice president of food services Mark Stedman.

He said that the food-services division's goal is to be as efficient with food preparation as possible, but sometimes they make a bit more than is needed, and there is food that goes uneaten.

"Anything we don't have out on buffet lines, we keep stored and refrigerated properly, and that creates the opportunity to donate," he said.

Stedman said the company began offering the excess food to the mission several years ago and also works with Utah Food Services to prepare an annual Thanksgiving meal for the mission that serves thousands of people each year.

The kinds of food the mission receives range from chicken and pork dishes to salmon, vegetables and salads, said Tom Satterfield, executive chef for the Miller Sports and Entertainment Group.

And occasionally, mission residents are treated to something extra special.

"One time, we had about 140 one-pound prime ribs donated to the Rescue Mission," said assistant executive director Chris Croswhite. "I was working late, and there were about 70 people — men and women who were homeless — eating a prime-rib dinner.

"The joy on their faces to be treated with such a feast was phenomenal to see," he said.

Croswhite said the mission serves approximately 86,000 meals annually, and the donations from the Miller Group constitute a "significant" portion. He called the food donations "a blessing" for which the mission and the people it serves are truly grateful.

According to Satterfield, the food that is donated makes for well-balanced, nutritious meals that include proteins such as meat, vegetables, fruits and breads.

"Anything that we cannot use that is safe to transfer to them is what we offer them as a donation," he said.

When preparing his meal plans, he usually doesn't "figure on any extra," he said. "But if we do have it, then we want it to go somewhere that it can be used."

He estimated that the donations from EnergySolutions Arena to the mission add up to enough food for about 10,000 meals yearly, with another 2,000 meals coming from donations from Franklin Covey Field during the Salt Lake Bees baseball season.

Being able to help people in need instead of wasting perfectly good food is something that Satterfield said he is very proud to be a part of.

"There is always someone who needs something to eat," he said.

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