Apollin Lu, 17, mobilised 140 young volunteers across British Columbia to rescue 9,000 pounds of fresh produce from farms in February 2025, forming the Food Recovery Alliance. The organisation was incorporated under the BC Societies Act and earned Lu the 2026 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes.
Growing up on her family’s garlic farm in Saanich, Lu watched surplus produce pile up while local shelters struggled to feed residents. She realised the supply‑chain mismatch and asked why good food vanished while people starved.
By ninth grade, Lu founded the Food Recovery Alliance, cold‑calling farmers and building trust with peers for weekend harvests. She later built an invoicing app that gave donors instant tax receipts, and a community garden for students to grow and donate produce.
Today the network processes over 10,000 pounds of rescued food each week from 30+ donors, delivering to non‑profits that serve roughly 70,000 food‑insecure people. Volunteers also maintain the garden, teaching sustainability to younger students.
Lu, a Grade 11 student at St. Michaels University School, said the award validated youth‑led impact. She plans to pilot partnerships with Rise Up and other groups to expand its Vancouver network and reach a wider audience.