“How can you frighten a man whose hunger is not only in his own cramped stomach but in the wretched bellies of his children? You can’t scare him–he has known a fear beyond every other.”

— John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 19

“Americans waste more than 40 percent of the food we produce for consumption.”

— Jonathan Bloom,  wastedfood.com

Here’s an idea.

QR codes are the relatively new codes which you can scan with your smart phone. Often, advertisers use them to go to their websites, but other times they are used to give more information, such as at a museum.

What if there was a QR code on the back of every wine bottle, beer can or bottle? What if there was a QR code on a card at every restaurant table or by the exit door? That card could be accompanied with a note, “Didn’t finish it all? That’s ok, give the rest away.” Then if you scanned it with your phone, it would donate a dollar to help feed someone in your community.

Even though we waste a lot of food, I think people do understand that waste and would like to do something about it if it’s easy. Putting a picture of a homeless person at a patron’s table is not comfortable for most people but a QR code is safe, non-threatening, private and it’s not mandatory.

Even if putting it on a beer bottle label would take regulatory changes, a restaurant could put out cards at their tables today.

If it’s implemented to be almost effortless, diners would use it. If restaurants have no extra work, they would put up the cards and signs. If food banks could get the money directly, they would help promote it.

It would connect those who have more than enough food with those that don’t.

Just an idea.

Played freerice.com and clicked on the Hunger Site to help feed someone, somewhere.