Hanoi Food Rescue (HFR) was established in 2012 by a group of students from Amsterdam High School in Hanoi. The idea of establishing this organization was proposed by Ngô Hà Châu, a student at the time. Ngô Hà Châu had previously participated in the Dash for Impact competition held at the Foreign Trade University. Recognizing that food waste at hotels and restaurants was often discarded, while many poor people still had to endure hunger every day, Ngô Hà Châu came up with the idea of establishing HFR along with his friends.
Since 2012, the group has collected approximately 82,000 meals from 30 hotels, restaurants, and bakeries such as L'Opera Hotel, Novotel Hotel, Trống Đồng Palace, Paris Deli, Jamứt, and others, and delivered them to over 30,000 people in need, including SOS Children's Village, K Hospital, Phúc Tuệ Center, and others.
Trần Khánh Vân, a student in 11D7 class at Yên Hòa High School and a member of HFR, stated that the most notable activity of HFR is The Hunger Games - "The Food Rescue Competition," a yearly competition designed based on the real-life program "The Amazing Race" and organized by Hanoi Food Rescue.
Vân also stated that, according to previous members, the initial response was not positive, but HFR convinced them that the excess food was not leftover from customers but rather prepared by hotels and not used. Therefore, the food was still intact and ensured food safety and hygiene.
To date, HFR has been recognized as a charity organization specializing in food rescue with a noble purpose and has received support from many large hotels and restaurants in Hanoi. Through HFR's activities, the members aim to convey the message to everyone, especially young people, to avoid food waste and raise community awareness about saving food, spreading love and empathy for those in difficult circumstances.
From July 5 to August 11, HFR organized the main event, The Hunger Games 2024, with nearly 450 registered teams consisting of students and young people of all ages in Hanoi. During this time, HFR planned to deliver meals to the Hà Nội - Vườn Hướng Dương Children's Art Club for the Disabled.
