Freebites: Eliminating College Food Waste and Insecurity

Millions of college students across the U.S. struggle with food insecurity, facing limited budgets and unpredictable meal access, with 3.8 million students reported experiencing food insecurity in 2020. At the same time, college campuses toss out enormous amounts of surplus food from events and dining halls, leading to 22 million pounds of food waste on college campuses each year.

A platform that shares immediate opportunities to access free food on campus helps solve both problems at once. Students easily discover free food, alleviating financial and food-related stress without stigma, while event organizers and dining services reduce their food waste.

Sarah Jun, A25, is an engineering psychology major who wanted to make it easier for students to find and share free food. Users can post a food, list dietary restrictions and potential allergens, share the location, and provide live status updates with a push notification.

As a first-gen, low-income student, Sarah was troubled whenever she saw an event ending with spreads of pizza or sandwiches left untouched and no plan to distribute them. “I feel there should be no food waste,” she said. “It's just that simple.”

After bringing together fellow students, including co-founder Clarence Yeh, A25, and Project Manager Sristi Panchu, E25, Sarah launched the Freebites app at Tufts. With the skillset and mindset they’d gained through courses as part of the Entrepreneurship Minor, the team put their ideas into action across the Tufts campus.

Freebites caught on quickly when it debuted at Tufts, surging to over 1,500 downloads and hundreds of food postings from events, with hosts as varied as the Mexican Culture Club and the Tufts Career Center.

Sarah and the Freebites team have received recognition for their solution across numerous competitions and awards at Tufts, including:

• Most Promising Undergraduate Team at the Tufts Ideas Competition 2025

• “Senior Award” of The Paul and Elizabeth Montle Prize for Entrepreneurial Achievement 2024

• 3rd Place in the Social Impact Track of the 2025 Tufts New Ventures Competition

“When the judges were amazed and impressed with Freebites, we realized then there are other people who believe in us," Sarah says. "That moment gave us the confidence to keep moving forward with our mission to ensure no food is wasted.”

By the Numbers:

• 1500+ downloads
• 560+ free food postings
• Recipient of The Paul and Elizabeth Montle Prize for Entrepreneurial Achievement “Senior Award”
• 2nd Place in 2025 Hult Prize at Tufts University

The Human Side:

Student reviews of the Freebites app demonstrate the need Sarah and her team are filling on campus:

“If you’re a student or worker at Tufts, you’ve probably heard of the free food e-list, which is a great idea to help people find free food so that it doesn’t go to waste. However, ever since school picked up, my email inbox has been flooded with new messages and I always end up missing the free food emails. Turning this idea into an app really makes things better for everyone. Now I can get a direct notification about food opportunities straight from one app!”

Looking ahead, Jun and her team of more than a dozen student volunteers are working to enhance the features within the Freebites app and expand the company’s reach. Freebites is focused on expanding the app nationwide by partnering with universities, securing sponsorships, and leveraging nonprofit funding to scale our impact. By reducing food waste and alleviating student hunger, Freebites is redefining how campuses approach food insecurity.

Learn More: https://www.freebites.org/
Program Information: Entrepreneurship Minor, Tufts New Ventures Competition