Member Spotlight Everything you've wanted to know about...

What are your organization's guiding values/principles?
Food For Free (FFF) improves access to healthy food through innovative programming and partnerships that overcome barriers and strengthen the community food system. We believe that access to healthy food is a fundamental right. We envision a future where everyone in our community—regardless of age, income, or ability—has consistent access to fresh, healthy, delicious food. Through a combination of food rescue and transportation services, we give food programs year-round access to fresh fruits and vegetables, while our direct service programs bring food to students, seniors, and others most at risk of hunger. Our programs address not only short-term hunger, but also the long-term health effects of food insecurity and poor nutrition, while reducing food waste.

What are the ongoing services or programs that your organization provides? 
Through a combination of food program support and direct service offerings, Food For Free uses partnerships, innovation and logistics to strengthen the community food system. Programs include:

Food Rescue: Each year, FFF rescues 1.28 million pounds. of food that might otherwise go to waste from 110 donors. Food is delivered to emergency food programs, schools, colleges, youth programs, and other programs that reach low-income individuals.
Heat-n-Eats: FFF takes prepared food from corporate, university, and hospital dining services and turns it into attractive, balanced, single-serving meals that they distribute to food-insecure populations. The program packs and distributes 1,000 meals per week.
Just Eats: Developed during the pandemic to meet increased demand, this boxed food program distributes 1,080 boxes of food every week to food programs, such as food pantries, low-income housing sites, etc, FFF also distributes up to 27,000 pounds of bulk produce and shelf-stable food to these sites.
Weekend Eats Carrot Cards: FFF distributes reloadable debit cards "Carrot Cards" to 1,300 food-insecure families in 30 public and charter schools across Cambridge and Somerville. This provides 2,300 students with critical funds to purchase the culturally appropriate and familiar food their families choose every weekend. 
School Markets : FFF partners with 11 schools in Cambridge and Somerville to host monthly markets in the schools for families and members of the community to access free food. These offer a choice of pantry staples, produce, and fresh foods. FFF works to tailor the food contributions to the preferences of each school community. The markets deliver over 26,000 lbs. of food monthly from September through June.
Healthy Eats: FFF delivers boxes of food to to the doorsteps of 275 low-income Cambridge seniors and people with disabilities. Each box includes the equivalent of 25 meals; special boxes accommodate a variety of diets.

Are there any upcoming projects, initiatives, or events that your organization would like others to know about?
Our annual gala, Party Under the Harvest Moon, will be Friday, Oct 18, from 5:30-8:00 pm at the MIT Walker Memorial Building, 142 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Tickets for this evening of fun and celebration of our work are now on sale! More information here.

Please share a recent story or event that embodies the work of your organization.
Food For Free is all about moving food from where there is an excess to the places in the community where it can have the biggest impact. On July 16, Food For Free staff and volunteers conducted a big rescue mission at the end of the School Nutrition National Conference in Boston. Together, we rescued four truckloads—about 30,000 pounds of food! The community recipients of this rescued food include Cambridge Community Center, Margaret Fuller House pantry, the Grant Manor food pantry, and Elizabeth Peabody House. We'll also be able to distribute the shelf-stable items at School Markets we host throughout the summer in Cambridge and Somerville.

If your organization was an emoji, which would it be and why?
Food for Free would be the carrot emoji 🥕 because we care a lot
(and we don’t shy away from food puns!) We believe that fighting hunger is not just about bringing people food, but about serving people with dignity and ensuring that the bulk of the foods we deliver are nutrient dense, like carrots and other produce.

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