The Food Project
The Food Project was started in a small Southern Oregon town called Ashland in January 2009 by a group of residents who wanted to make it easy for people to donate food to the Ashland Emergency Food Bank. They realized that many of their neighbors wanted to help fight hunger but for one reason or another never get around to it. So they created a simple door-to-door food collection system to enable them to pitch in.
They had three goals:
1. To provide a regular supply of food to our hungry neighbors
2. To create new neighborhood connections and strengthen our community
3. To serve as a model for other communities
Armed with brochures that proclaimed, “You want to help, We want to make it easy!,” Ashland Food Project volunteers canvassed their own neighborhoods, knocking on doors and inviting their neighbors to participate. Whenever people said “Yes,” AFP volunteers suggested that they buy just one extra nonperishable food item each week, and store it at home. The volunteers promised to stop by their homes every 2 months, pick the food up and take it directly to the food bank.
The project started with a core group of 10 volunteers picking up food. About a year later, there were over 150 in 3 different towns. The first Pickup Day, in 2009, netted about 600 pounds of food. By December, 2013, they were picking up more than 65,000 lbs. county-wide, every two months.
There are now 40+ Food Projects across the country, with more ready to get started!
The Takoma Park Food Project
In 2013 Geoff Maxson, a resident of Montgomery County, MD for 20+ years, was shocked and dismayed to learn that 13% of Marylanders had food-insecurity issues at least once during the year. “Right here in this affluent county, in the most-developed country on the planet, more than 1/8 of the families have trouble finding enough food to eat!” he says. He started the TPFP in his own neighborhood, with a core group of 12 households donating food, and is looking to greatly expand this effort in 2015.
We’re honored that you have consider becoming a part of this program sharing food with neighbors and building a stronger community. It’s our hope that as a volunteer you will have fun, grow, get to know people and feel generally good about yourself and your town.
The Food Project
The Food Project was started in a small Southern Oregon town called Ashland in January 2009 by a group of residents who wanted to make it easy for people to donate food to the Ashland Emergency Food Bank. They realized that many of their neighbors wanted to help fight hunger but for one reason or another never get around to it. So they created a simple door-to-door food collection system to enable them to pitch in.
They had three goals:
1. To provide a regular supply of food to our hungry neighbors
2. To create new neighborhood connections and strengthen our community
3. To serve as a model for other communities
Armed with brochures that proclaimed, “You want to help, We want to make it easy!,” Ashland Food Project volunteers canvassed their own neighborhoods, knocking on doors and inviting their neighbors to participate. Whenever people said “Yes,” AFP volunteers suggested that they buy just one extra nonperishable food item each week, and store it at home. The volunteers promised to stop by their homes every 2 months, pick the food up and take it directly to the food bank.
The project started with a core group of 10 volunteers picking up food. About a year later, there were over 150 in 3 different towns. The first Pickup Day, in 2009, netted about 600 pounds of food. By December, 2013, they were picking up more than 65,000 lbs. county-wide, every two months.
There are now 40+ Food Projects across the country, with more ready to get started!
The Takoma Park Food Project
In 2013 Geoff Maxson, a resident of Montgomery County, MD for 20+ years, was shocked and dismayed to learn that 13% of Marylanders had food-insecurity issues at least once during the year. “Right here in this affluent county, in the most-developed country on the planet, more than 1/8 of the families have trouble finding enough food to eat!” he says. He started the TPFP in his own neighborhood, with a core group of 12 households donating food, and is looking to greatly expand this effort in 2015.
We’re honored that you have consider becoming a part of this program sharing food with neighbors and building a stronger community. It’s our hope that as a volunteer you will have fun, grow, get to know people and feel generally good about yourself and your town.