Besides appreciating the staff hard at work, Bruins who find themselves in the dining halls at closing time might get a case of the blues when they see bowls unserved and pans half full. Leftovers may be inevitable for dining halls meant to feed dorms of students, but might there be a way to reduce the food that goes to waste?
Since 2018, Bruin Dine’s mission has been just that: collecting leftovers from the dining hall kitchens to distribute to those who need it. Although dining halls must discard food that has been out in the open, the fresh pastries in displays and the dishes still cooking on the stoves do not need to meet a similar fate. Operating every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night in Conference Room 1 of the Student Activities Center, Bruin Dine brings these goods to students at the very center of campus.
A BruinLife photographer joined Bruin Dine on one of their nightly endeavors to reduce food waste. Here is an inside look at their food recovery and distribution process. Here we go!
Food recovery
Students walk up the stairs leading up to Covel Commons. Affectionately (or perhaps appropriately) termed the Awkward Steps, it is the place where Bruin Dine volunteers meet to prepare for the night ahead.
Bruin Dine volunteers catch up as a worker for Epicuria at Covel labels surplus food from the dinner meal period. Dining halls develop a relationship with Bruin Dine as they go about their rounds collecting food for distribution.
Two Bruin Dine officers load food trays onto Bruin Dine’s van for transport, careful to load the heaviest items first. Boxes are inside to insulate the food, and the van will soon deliver the food to the distribution area.
Five trays wait patiently in the dining hall at De Neve for recovery. Typical items include burgers from the Grill and the daily option from the Kitchen. Food distribution
A volunteer awaits a tray to transport into the Student Activities Center. A central location on campus, the Student Activities Center houses the Community Programs Office (CPO) to combat student hunger and broader barriers in education.
In the minutes leading up to 10 PM, a carefully-labeled tray from Epicuria prepares to be served. Bruin Dine volunteers also prepare, using the period between food recovery and food distribution to wash their hands and tie hair back.
A volunteer consults with officers and fellow volunteers before the start of the distribution period. Many of Bruin Dine’s volunteers come in regularly, forming a close-knit community.
A lovingly decorated box sits on a table, filled with buttery, jam-filled, and chocolate-drizzled pastries. In addition to collecting food from the dining halls on the Hill, Bruin Dine works with Kerckhoff Coffee House to recover additional goods for the day.
Bruin Dine begins serving the first of the night’s diners. Depending on the amount of food and the number of diners who drop by, food can run out quickly, so diners will often come to the Student Activities Center early to await distribution.
A volunteer introduces the pastry options to the night’s diners. Diners will often take a croissant or a muffin for a midnight snack or the next day’s breakfast.
Reflection
Three diners smile for the camera. Andre Nguyen (left), a UCLA Epidemiology staff member, and Zach Wong (right), a UCLA Law student, support the club when they can as diners but also as regular volunteers.
Mia Elliott (left) from UCLA Public Affairs and Aster Phan (right) pose for a photo. Many diners like Mia hope to volunteer with Bruin Dine to give back to a meaningful club.
Volunteers pose with their goods after a successful night of distribution. The act of serving food together bonds volunteers, and many come back quarter after quarter to contribute to a good cause.
And another successful night has come to a close. Food was saved, and smiles abounded among volunteers and diners alike.
“It’s really cool what [Bruin Dine] do[es],” Mia Elliott said.
Having found Bruin Dine through Instagram, Andre Nguyen shared similar sentiments. “I actually volunteer here once every week. I come for food when I feel like walking at night, or when he feels like driving,” he said, nodding at his housemate Zach Wong with a laugh.
Food is a miraculous thing that brings us together, and Bruin Dine does it all for a good cause: reducing food waste.
Students who want to help the cause can sign up to volunteer. Reach out to Bruin Dine (@uclabruindine), and they will be happy to have you!
