New York, like so many big U.S. cities, is defined by its explosive food scene with over 24,000 restaurants, different cuisines to choose from, and different neighborhoods to explore every time you visit here.

But what you might not know is the next time you travel to the Big Apple, you can give back every time you dine out.

Think about it. Every day New York produces hundreds of thousands of pounds of food. So it’s not about production, it’s about distribution.

New York has one of the highest levels of homelessness since the Great Depression. More than 60,000 people seek shelter each night, and they arrive hungry.

And that’s where Rescuing Leftover Cuisine comes in.

Most restaurants and bakeries cook up more food than they can sell, and instead of tossing it into a compost heap, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine has devised a plan to collect this otherwise discarded food and deliver it to local homeless shelters.

And the best part about it? The company operates all year long. All you have to do is log on to its website, rescuingleftovercuisine.org, and view the calendar. Pick a date and time that works for you, and you’re all set.

In less than 30 minutes, you can play a huge role in helping out the hungry in New York City.

By Ricki Lander for PeterGreenberg.com