COLUMBUS, Ga. — Local food banks want to raise your awareness of a little-known law that has restaurants and grocery stores pitching in to eliminate food waste for a good cause.

The House of Time is just one of the many outreach programs that benefits from the food donations received and distributed by the Feeding the Valley food bank. One resident, Tamra Smertneck, says she is grateful the program helped pull her out of a dark time in her life.

“I didn’t want to be here anymore,” Smertneck says. “So a divorce started, and then he would get the children for a week and then I would get the children for a week and I wasn’t used to that so I kind of started spiraling downward.”

In order to keep programs like these well stocked and running, Feeding the Valley receives even more donations than the non-perishable items we’re used to seeing on food bank shelves. Food Sourcing Manager Margalena Remington says Feeding the Valley gets unsold food products from restaurants and grocery stores thanks to the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996.

The federal law states businesses are protected from any liability when donating unpackaged food so long as it is “apparently wholesome”. It also provides tax write-offs for each product donated to a non-profit or religious organization.

Remington says most businesses are either unaware of the law, or wary of it.

“They’re scared. They don’t understand the Good Samaritan Act, which is a law that helps protect them as long as they’re not knowingly sending us something bad. But many people are scared of it,” she says.

The Barberitos on Broadway is one of several local restaurants proud to cut its food waste by feeding those in need.

“It is pretty simple really, there are several items that we would normally discard at the end of the night,” says General Manager Kyle Kimsey. “Instead of doing that, I wrap them up and freeze them and then Feeding the Valley comes down and picks it up and takes it to their food bank so its really nothing to it.”

The Winn-Dixie on Veteran’s Parkway is another regular stop for Feeding the Valley when collecting donations.

“We love giving back to the community, and like I said there are a lot of people out there that are hungry and they don’t have food so this is a way of saying hey here you go,” says Customer Service Manager Linda Anthony.

Tamra Smertneck says she wants to encourage anyone who joins in the donation initiative: Your generosity makes a difference.

“I am so grateful, I am so grateful.”