This summer, 94 families experiencing food insecurity in Southeast Raleigh had a bright spot to look forward to each week: the delivery of farm fresh produce and eggs.
Over the course of eight weeks, Farmer Foodshare delivered nearly $13,000 worth of North Carolina-grown produce free of charge to Fertile Ground Food Cooperative. Fertile Ground, in turn, called on their network to put into action a major distribution effort to get fresh veggies into the hands of families with children, seniors, and persons with disabilities.
Helpers from St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, Southeast Raleigh Table United Methodist Church, St Matthew AME Church, the Raleigh Ministerial Alliance VP, and Fertile Ground members all came out in force to refer recipients and volunteer their time.
By the numbers
94 - families receiving fresh produce and eggs
54% - families receiving deliveries the full 8 weeks
87% - families receiving food boxes 4 weeks or more
520 – phone calls made by volunteers, reminding families of their upcoming deliveries
37 – drivers hitting the road to deliver food
642 – hours of volunteer time donated to the project
All that fresh, local produce was a hit with the families.
One neighbor told Fertile Ground, “I have not had cabbage since my mother passed, and cooking it brought back such wonderful family memories.”
Another said, “You know, I am diabetic, and this food does me right.”
We couldn’t agree more.
Thank you to the many volunteers who helped with the deliveries, but also to the many donors who funded the project via a Facebook Fundraiser launched by Jacob Boehm of Snap Pea Catering and Tova Boehm of Short Winter Soups. Together you all raised more than $17,000 to support work with Black-led organizations and Black farmers.
It’s community support that drives Farmer Foodshare’s work. If you want to launch your own Facebook fundraiser to help more people in need enjoy fresh food, here’s a quick how-to guide on how to do it.