As hundreds of thousands of Bronxites lose access to SNAP benefits during the ongoing federal government shutdown, one local food rescue operation is stepping up to fill the gap — by turning food waste into nourishment.

Inside the Hunts Point Produce Market, volunteers from the nonprofit Sharing Excess sort through pallets of donated fruits and vegetables — orange after orange, box after box — to make sure nothing edible goes to waste.

“There’s so many of these boxes on one pallet—it gets up to like 80,” said Douglas, a food sorter. “Every other pallet is just stacked to the brim.”

The group rescues perfectly good produce that grocery stores and wholesalers can’t sell, redistributing it to food pantries, shelters and community kitchens across the borough. The rest — bruised or spoiled — is composted to keep it from ending up in landfills.

“We partner with hundreds of major food businesses ranging from wholesalers to grocery stores,” said Evan Ehlers, CEO of Sharing Excess. “We take their surplus food that’s perfectly edible, but for whatever reason they weren’t able to sell it, and we redistribute it to feed communities in need.”

From a startup born in Ehlers’ college dorm room in 2018 — when he used his remaining dining plan credits to feed the hungry — Sharing Excess has grown into a nationwide network. Today, the organization operates out of the largest produce warehouse in the country, feeding thousands of Bronx residents daily.

“It’s more important than ever to get this excess food out to community members who can use it to feed families,” Ehlers said. “We shouldn’t be letting any food go to waste while people are growing hungry — especially during a shutdown."

It’s a repetitive job — inspecting, sorting and boxing produce for hours — but one that’s keeping Bronx bellies full when it matters most.