Twice a week, the UW–Madison community comes together to share a warm meal. At the front of the room sits a buffet with dishes from cornbread to curry, while chatter-filled tables span the remaining space. Even better, it’s completely free!
The Food Recovery Network (FRN) is a UW-Madison student organization that is responsible for hosting these free community meals. FRN is a branch of a national initiative aimed at reducing food waste and combatting food insecurity.
How It Works
At UW-Madison, FRN gathers unserved food from university dining halls as well as various on- and off-campus locations like Badger Markets, the Pyle Center, Healthy Food for All, and The People’s Farm. By collecting food that would otherwise be thrown away, FRN supports the university’s zero-waste goals while also serving as a valuable resource for students and community members who may face barriers to affordable, healthy food.
On meal days, student volunteers reheat, prepare, and serve recovered food at The Crossing. On one side of the room sits a table of wrapped snacks for attendees to grab and go. At the buffet table, people line up with dishes and to-go containers provided by FRN. Once the meal is over, FRN cleans up the space.
During the spring 2026 semester, meals will occur every Tuesday from 6:30 to 7:30 PM and every Friday from 12:00 to 1:00 PM at The Crossing Campus Ministry on University Avenue.
Get involved
FRN is entirely student-run, and they need student volunteers to continue serving meals to the UW–Madison community. If you are interested in reducing food waste and food insecurity, being part of a community, and free meals, consider joining FRN as a student volunteer! Questions can be sent to FRN via e-mail at frn.uwmadison@gmail.com or on Instagram.
By: Tia Gaffney