With Community Support, The Food Drive Attains Nonprofit Status

The following was submitted by Melrose-based The Food Drive:

Melrose, MA (June 14, 2021) – The Food Drive, a community-driven food rescue and food access program based in Melrose, announced today that they have received federal nonprofit tax- exempt status. Started seven months ago in November 2020, The Food Drive has been operating on community donations, a grassroots GoFundMe campaign, and the founders’ personal funds. This status will enable The Food Drive to raise the money vitally needed to continue the program, which works to reduce hunger and food waste in Melrose and surrounding towns by distributing recovered, surplus, and donated food to people in need.

“We started The Food Drive because our family wanted to do something about hunger and waste in our own community. Good food should not be wasted, especially since food security is such a challenge.” shared Jana & Tony Gimenez, The Food Drive’s founders. The program’s logo was designed by their 13-year-old daughter Ella Gimenez, a student at MVMMS. Founding board members are Liz Bianco, Beth Blatchford, and Jill Tully, all Melrose residents.

“We’re grateful for the support that our program so quickly received from volunteers and Melrose community organizations. We’ve been able to do this work because of collaborations with Bread of Life, our first nonprofit partner and recipient, and our initial food donors Whole Foods Melrose and Shaw’s Melrose,” said Jana, who is also a board member at Bread of Life. One week after The Food Drive started, the Melrose Farmer’s Market invited The Food Drive to be a rescue vendor for the November Harvest Market and the 2021 season. Ongoing partnerships with donor Buckalew’s General Store and recipients A Servants Heart Food Pantry and Pantry of Hope quickly followed.

A generous gift of $10,000 from Melrose cannabis dispensary Garden Remedies helped ensure that The Food Drive could add food donors and recipients during their initial phase.

“We are excited to support the incredible work that The Food Drive is doing to support people in the Melrose community,” said Jeff Herold, co-CEO/COO of Garden Remedies, Inc. "The Food Drive works closely with grocery stores, restaurants, and other businesses to rescue good food that is going to be thrown away and drives it to people who are hungry and facing food insecurity. The charity goes right by our Garden Remedies dispensary in Melrose to deliver food to people who face daily decisions of whether to pay the rent or feed their family. The Food Drive is making a real difference and we proudly donated $10,000 dollars to further their mission. We look forward to working with them more in the future.”

The gift was recommended by Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur, “The Food Drive has made such important strides toward ending food insecurity in our community while simultaneously combating climate change. They’re a true example of what it means to think global and act local, and I can’t wait to see what they’re able to accomplish on this larger scale. These community partnerships speak to what it means to be a Melrosian.”

Other much-needed startup supplies and program support for The Food Drive’s work came from the donations of other community organizations, including Mass in Motion Melrose & Wakefield, Robinson Funeral Home, Wakefield Co-operative Bank, and Faith Evangelical Church.

The Food Drive has rescued 80,000 pounds (40 tons) of food so far. “To put that in terms of hunger and waste, this total translates to 66,666 meals for our neighbors and 43,000 pounds of greenhouse gases prevented by diverting food from landfills,” reported Tony. “It became obvious to us very early on that the need for food was even greater than we thought, as was the impact of food waste on the environment.”

“A note we received from a recipient in Melrose constantly inspires us. People are struggling with food insecurity in our own neighborhoods, and a simple, healthy meal delivered two blocks can mean so much.” said Jana.

“The donations help greatly in reducing my grocery bill and save me a good amount of money. Living on a fixed income and purchasing food can be quite expensive. I had gone without some weeks.”

Today The Food Drive works with a host of organizations, including Melrose recipients the McCarthy Apartments and Steele House with Melrose Housing Authority, Congregational Retirement Homes Levi Gould and Fuller House, and the Vine Street residence of Caritas Communities. Recipients from surrounding communities include Everett Grace Food Pantry & Outreach, Housing Families, Malden Warming Center, MBS Community Dinner, Saugus United Parish Food Pantry, and St. Joseph Table Dinner.

Food donors include Beacon Hill Wine and Gourmet, Bobby C’s, the Bread Shop, Domino’s, the Farmland, Giacomo’s Melrose, Green Street Natural Food, La Qchara, Starbuck’s, Turner’s Seafood, and Whole Foods Woburn. The Farm Direct Coop and Melrose Farmer’s Market vendors Dick’s Market Garden and Oakdale Farms donate produce each week during the season.

The early groundswell of support allowed The Food Drive to apply for an attain nonprofit status, which provides the basis for stability and growth for the program. Future projects include a food security partnership with Melrose First United Methodist Church, and work with Zero Waste Melrose toward the goal of zero food waste in Melrose.

ABOUT THE FOOD DRIVE

The Food Drive is a Melrose-based, community-driven food rescue and food access nonprofit that provides hyperlocal solutions to food insecurity and food waste. The program distributes recovered, surplus, and donated food to pantries and residences that serve food insecure, homeless, and low-income citizens of Melrose and surrounding towns, including Malden, Everett, Wakefield, and Saugus. To learn more or to donate to our program please visit us at www.thefooddrive.org, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

PRESS CONTACT
Jana Gimenez, Board President

617-501-7134

fooddrivemelrose@gmail.com