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We always hear the phrase, “It takes a village.” But to have a strong village, you have to be willing to be a good villager to others in return.
To show up. To give back. And to not do it just because you expect something back. That’s how we’ll continue to help each other build the communities and businesses that shape our lives for the better.
One of the strongest villagers I know is Jake Tepperman. He decided to start Chicago Food Rescue a few years ago, taking his learnings from a food rescue organization he was apart of in Pittsburgh and applying it to the city he calls home.
Jake never questions whether the work he does will pay off. He just does it, day after day. He now has an expanding team and an ever-growing group of volunteers helping rescue and transport mostly fresh items of food across the city to those in need, reducing food waste in the process.
In 2025 alone, the CFR team has rescued 250,000 lbs of food for 208,000 meals over 1,100+ rescues. And all it takes is maybe 30 minutes to an hour of driving!
I’ve been inspired by Jake to join Columbus’s food rescue organization and have enjoyed the few trips I’ve done so far. I connect not only with the great restaurants and businesses donating fresh food, but also the folks on the other side who are grateful for a delicious meal. It makes me feel a different kind of connection with this still new-to-me city I now call home.
If you want to be a strong founder, friend, partner, villager partner, anything in this life, it takes showing up time and time again. Building trust and reliability with those around you. It’s the only way we can grow better together.
Chicago Food Rescue’s Perfect Bite
This week’s episode was produced to support Podcasthon, the world’s largest annual charity podcast event in mid-March. Podcasters around the globe are releasing episodes to support non-profits and causes they believe in. I’m so happy I was able to feature Chicago Food Rescue for this special episode.
Jake and I discussed how Chicago Food Rescue works, rescuing resh, perishable food — produce, baked goods, prepared meals — from grocery stores, corporate offices, restaurants, and events, and delivers it directly to community organizations that feed people in need. No physical location. No warehouse. Just a network of volunteers, a powerful app, and a mission that is quietly changing how Chicago thinks about food waste and food access.
I had such a lovely time talking with Jake—and yes, I cry on the job again from all the incredible work he and his team are doing.
Please enjoy Jake’s story and this peek behind-the-scenes of how we can all easily help our neighbors, and please consider joining the CFR volunteer network below or supporting through a donation!
🎧 Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts
🎧 Listen to the episode on Spotify
📺 Watch the episode on YouTube
Support Chicago Food Rescue:
Download the Chicago Food Rescue app (Google Play or App Store) to volunteer or set up a food rescue
For more information and to donate: chicagofoodrescue.org
Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn: @chicagofoodrescue_
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Storytelling Secret Ingredient:
The Reliability Factor
Jake didn't launch Chicago Food Rescue with a big PR moment or a viral campaign. He launched it by showing up. Doing rescues himself. Walking through the door of every food donor and nonprofit partner and putting a face to the name. And then doing it over and over again.
The trust that CFR has built in just a year and a half isn't the result of superior marketing — it's the result of saying they'd show up and then not actually doing the work. Every time you show up and do what you told your audience you would, you’re proving that they can trust you.
Here are a few ways you can build better trust and reliability into your messaging:
Be loud and proud about your consistency: Just like CFR, let your statistics around your milestones, quality, streaks, and behind-the-scenes moments speak for themselves.
Be physically present where your audience is: Yes, being consistent in your digital marketing presence is important and scalable. But when you can show up and connect with your audience in person, you can build even stronger relationships, showing who you are and why they should believe in your work.
Let your community become your proof: We’ve become much more wary of brands speaking on their own behalves. That’s where reviews, testimonials, and spotlights on your community come into play. Show off the folks that support you and really love what you’re doing!
Storytelling secret ingredient: Be consistent across the board — trust is built with your audience when you show up time and time again.
Tried & True
You can always rely on these F&B brands to show up—and deliver greatness with consistency.
Maneet Chauhan: Despite all of her projects, Maneet knows how to show up for her community. Even if she’s working on a new restaurant concept, you know that you can consistently find her attached to one of her venues, at a food festival, or competing on your favorite Food Network shows! Maneet was my first ever guest on TPB—and it’s because I knew I could count on her.
Farmer's Fridge: Built entirely on the promise that fresh, healthy food will be in that fridge every single day. The reliability of the product IS the product. I’ve always had an amazingly fresh experience with Farmer’s Fridge, and they deliver a delicious on-the-go meal time and time again.
Honey Butter Fried Chicken: From Day 1, HBFC in Chicago has been “that girl” for me. Not only are you guaranteed a great meal with a menu that has stuck to its classics for 12 years, but founders Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp have been extremely reliable for their team and community. They’ve gone through the hardest of times and always put their people first. Listen to my chat with Christine here.
Thanks so much for being part of The Perfect Bite’s journey and supporting these founders’ stories. Feel free to respond to any of these messages with thoughts on how I can improve my storytelling in the future or if you have any guest ideas!
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