Lasse Wennman received Sweden's Environmental Hero of the Year Award last December for, among other things, his work in reducing food waste by obtaining perishable items from restaurants (and other businesses) and recycling them to feed those who are hungry.
The organization Wennman established, Matakuten, which means "food emergency," has distributed more than 150 tons of food to more than 12,000 people living in an area just north of Stockholm.
Wennman will discuss "An Environmentally Sound Model for Feeding Sweden's Refugees and Poor" during a free, 90-minute presentation on Oct. 12 at Niagara University. The event takes place at 3:30 p.m. in Dunleavy Hall, Room 127.
Last June, Wennman presented Matakuten to the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, but his efforts extend well beyond his work on poverty. He also started an organization that endeavors to curb street violence and criminality among young immigrant boys, which has now been replicated across six other cities in Sweden. He is considered a national expert on drug prevention and policy, and has also been heavily involved in assisting Muslim refugees.
The event at Niagara University is sponsored by its department of psychology, sustainability committee, office of campus ministry, Niagara County Poverty Conference Committee and the Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., president emeritus.
Questions regarding Wennman's presentation at Niagara University may be addressed to Dr. Timothy Osberg at
[email protected] or 716-286-8524.
