No plate wasted, no neighbor hungry.

Licensed restaurants, caterers, grocers, and similar food businesses can list surplus food in about a minute, with or without an account. A listing includes the food type, a short description, the number of portions, any dietary information (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, halal, kosher), a pickup address with autocomplete, an optional pickup timeframe, and how you would like to be notified — text message or email.

The pickup address appears on the listing so neighbors can plan; sharers choose the pickup style (porch pickup, business, or a public location).

When a neighbor reserves portions, the sharer is notified through their chosen channel. Coordination happens without either party seeing the other's contact information:

1. By text: reply DONE when the food is picked up, or DECLINE if you can no longer share.
2. By email: each message includes one-tap action links ("Mark picked up", "Decline") that perform the same updates.
3. In-browser chat (when enabled) offers the same actions as buttons within the conversation.

If you decline, the neighbor is told straight away. Portions are tracked automatically: a declined or cancelled reservation returns its portions to the listing so someone else can claim them, and a listing closes on its own when the last portion is claimed.

Generosity can occasionally be abused, or you may simply reach a point where you no longer feel comfortable sharing food with someone in particular. In those situations, sharers with an account can prevent specific individuals from interacting with their listings. From your profile, open Blocked neighbors and add the person's phone number or email address (an optional name helps you remember the entry).

A blocked person, matched by account, phone, or email:

1. Cannot reserve any of your plates (they see the same message as a listing that is no longer available — the block itself is never revealed to them).
2. No longer receives alerts about your listings. Alerts about other sharers’ food are unaffected.
3. Cannot open a new chat conversation with you.

Blocks apply to all of your listings, current and future, and can be removed at any time.

Available food appears on the browse feed and the map, sorted by distance when location is shared — no account required. If nothing is available nearby, submit a food request with your zip code: the moment food is posted in your area, you receive an alert with a direct link to the listing.

Reserving takes one tap. Households can reserve multiple portions at once, and the listing's remaining count updates immediately for everyone else.

After reserving, you receive the pickup address through your chosen channel. When you head out, let the sharer know:

1. By text: reply READY.
2. By email: use the "I’m on my way" one-tap link.
3. In-browser chat (when enabled): use the action buttons in the conversation.

The sharer is notified at each step. Neither side ever sees the other's phone number or email — all communication is relayed through the platform.

Some neighbors can't pick up the food they reserve — no car, mobility limits, a sick kid at home. Volunteers bridge that gap. Joining the crew requires a free Neighbor Plates account plus a name, phone number, zip code, and how far you're willing to drive — the account keeps every volunteer's deliveries, mileage record, and preferences in one accountable place.

1. When a reservation requests delivery, the nearest available volunteers are texted first — pickup and drop-off zip codes only — with more volunteers added in waves every few minutes until someone claims it.
2. The first volunteer to claim it (by text reply or one tap while signed in) gets the delivery; everyone else is told it’s taken. Volunteers handle one delivery at a time unless they’ve opted into more.
3. Only the claiming volunteer receives the two addresses. They text PICKED when they have the food and DELIVERED when it’s dropped off, and both the neighbor and the sharer are kept informed at each step.
4. If no volunteer claims a delivery within about 45 minutes, both the neighbor and the sharer are told so nobody waits on food that isn’t coming.

Volunteering is unpaid and commitment-free. Each volunteer's dashboard sets available days and hours, quiet hours, and pause periods — or pause anytime by texting PAUSE and leave the list with STOP.

Neighbor Plates! keeps a trip record for completed deliveries so volunteers can review their service history.

The dashboard may show an estimated route distance for convenience. Volunteers can replace an estimate with their own trip record. A year-end service letter describes completed deliveries but does not state or verify mileage, expenses, or tax treatment.

Unreimbursed out-of-pocket costs of volunteering for a 501(c)(3), including mileage at the IRS charitable rate, may be deductible for volunteers who itemize. Your own trip log is the record that controls, so keep one. This is general information, not tax advice; consult a tax professional about your situation.

Every form asks how you would like to be reached — text message or email — and that choice is used for exactly two purposes: food-availability alerts near you and coordination of pickups you are part of. Consent is per-submission and never required to browse.

1. Text messages: reply STOP at any time to end all texts; reply START to resume. Message frequency varies and message & data rates may apply.
2. Email: every message includes a one-click unsubscribe link.
3. Contact information is never shared between neighbors and never sold.

All coordination can be done by replying to Neighbor Plates! texts with a single word:

1. READY — you are on your way to a pickup (neighbors).
2. DONE — the food was picked up (sharers).
3. DECLINE — cancel a reservation you can no longer go through with. Either side can send it: a sharer who can no longer share, or a neighbor who can no longer collect.
4. PICKED — a volunteer has the food and is on the way (volunteers).
5. DELIVERED — a volunteer has handed the food over (volunteers).
6. YES — re-send the link to a food alert you received (neighbors).
7. STOP — end all text messages immediately. START — resume them.

Keywords are case-insensitive and tolerate punctuation ("Done!" works).

No. Sharing, requesting, and reserving food all work with just a name and a contact channel. An account adds conveniences: saved contact details, participation history, the blocked-neighbors list, and an email notification preference. Accounts are free.

Neighbor Plates! accepts listings only from licensed food businesses, but does not inspect or verify individual listings, ingredients, allergen information, handling, or food condition. Recipients should ask the donor directly about ingredients and decide whether the food is appropriate for them. Contact details stay private on both sides, and donors can block anyone they are uncomfortable with.

Our assumption-of-risk and liability terms are in the Terms of Service.

Neighbor Plates! is completely free for everyone — no fees for posting, reserving, or receiving food, ever. As a nonprofit we operate on donations and grants. Service is rolling out region by region, beginning with Michigan; new regions open as local partners come aboard.