Giving is Always in Season

November is here and along with it is the season of giving. Most notably is Thanksgiving, a holiday centered around food and family, in whatever form your family takes. In this season of giving, when we are all gathered together to eat a feast and give thanks, we urge you to take a moment to remember families who may be food insecure.

According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 people struggles with hunger in our country. Food insecurity can be generally defined as a lack of access to nutritionally adequate food. One of the ways to change this staggering statistic is to teach people holistic ways in which they can access fresh food. Through our programming, we teach hundreds of people how to grow their own food anywhere they happen to be. Whether it’s in a backyard, a repurposed container, or a rooftop farm, we teach people the skills they need to feed themselves and others. Teaching people the ability to produce abundant, healthy food is a powerful tool to fight hunger.

Another way to help fight food insecurity is through donation to food rescues. The GCG team is proud to partner with  Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a local food rescue organization, not just during the holidays, but all year round. They are our main destination for produce donation from most of our corporate farms and gardens, including Fenway Farms. Lovin’ Spoonfuls rescues fresh food- that might otherwise go to waste- and delivers it directly to the community where it is needed most. Lovin’ Spoonfuls makes it possible for us to give back to our community in the form of fresh tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, beets, and so much more.

“Farm fresh produce is a rarity for many of the beneficiaries we deliver to, as well as their patrons. Being able to provide high quality fruits and vegetables to the local community is something I’m proud I can play a part in.” – Vinny Vassallo, Food Rescue Coordinator for Lovin’ Spoonfuls 

Our donation beds in a network of gardens throughout the surrounding area produce more than 4,500 pounds of produce for Lovin’ Spoonfuls donations yearly. Since 2010, Lovin’ Spoonfuls has rescued nearly 11 million pounds of fresh food, which has provided more than 8,500,000 meals for those in need in the Greater Boston area. 

If you are looking for other ways to help fight food insecurity, check out this list of volunteer opportunities that Lovin’ Spoonfuls created. They have other tips on how to help as well including asking your local grocery stores and restaurants how they handle their food waste and donating funds to help keep other food rescues in your area alive and flourishing.

Here at Green City Growers, we are incredibly thankful for our amazing team, our generous clients, and the surrounding community organizations that have helped our mission come to light. Each day we continue to transform underutilized spaces into biodiverse productive landscapes to provide the community with fresh, hyper-local food while inspiring self-sufficiency. Thank you to everyone who has helped us achieve our goals this year and in years to come!