By: Erica Szymanski
I spent three years in various leadership roles with Food Assist, the Food Recovery Network (FRN) chapter at the University of Virginia (UVA). Our primary focus was redirecting surplus food donations from donors to shelters and food pantries. These food recoveries relied upon students who had cars to drive the food, which excluded many students without a vehicle. To diversify chapter membership, we expanded the types of activities that our chapter offered and became creative with food transport logistics.
Here are my top five tips for engaging non-driving FRN volunteers:
1) Plan Food Reapportionment Events:
Some food donations may arrive packaged in large trays, which are ideal for serving a crowd but impractical for a community fridge of grab-and-go single-serving meals. Hosting a food reapportionment event entails dividing large trays of food into individual portions, usually in clamshells or takeout-style boxes, for a community fridge.
Remember to purchase sustainable packaging and utensils in advance of your reapportionment event - compostable items are gentlest on the earth. Also label the packaging with 1) the contents of the box, 2) the date that the meal was packed, and 3) potential allergens. FRN grant funds can be used to pay for supplies such as clamshells, boxes, and utensils!
2) Stock a Food Pantry:
FRN chapters can stock local pantries with food or hygiene products. Donated items should be placed on open shelves, not pre-packaged into kits, to allow pantry users with allergies, sensitivities, or other dietary needs to make their own selections. You can host a themed pantry-stocking event by providing recipe cards alongside the corresponding ingredients to help food pantry users whip up a quick meal. Another creative option is a wellness station within the pantry, stocking items such as soap, toothpaste, and menstrual products. Also consider writing encouraging notes to leave with your food pantry donations!
3) Design a Fundraiser:
While FRN provides chapter funding (current chapters can see grant details here), you can also fundraise for purchases that support your partner agency's needs. Hosting a baking night to prepare for a bake sale is a meaningful way to spend time together as a chapter. You could also sell premade items, such as t-shirts or even chocolate bars, to raise some dough. Get creative and have fun with your chapter in the process!
4) Think Outside the Box for Transportation:
At UVA, the community food pantry is within walking distance to an area with lots of restaurants that donate food, and thus the food recovery route is an easy commute. These shorter donation runs were perfect to assign to chapter members who did not have access to a car. To make this trek even simpler, we acquired a fleet of wagons (which you can purchase with FRN funding) to haul the trays of food. We even hosted a wagon-naming contest, which resulted in assigning our wagons punny celebrity names like “Dolly Carton” and “Wagona Ryder.” I highly suggest naming your wagons to make the process of tracking your fleet a bit more whimsical. Is your campus too spread out for a walking route? Consider partnering with your local police force or university transportation services to facilitate food deliveries.
5) Host an Educational Event:
Planning an educational event for your chapter is a wonderful bonding experience that also raises awareness about food justice at your university. You could host a food documentary screening event, followed by a conversation about the film. Another option is hosting a food justice discussion panel featuring professor guest speakers, community members, and student leaders. Educational events could even include cooking classes! Our chapter partnered with UVA’s teaching kitchen for a cooking class that taught attendees how to create inexpensive and nutritious meals from common pantry items.
Meeting other FRN chapter leaders (or at a minimum, scrolling through their social media pages) is an excellent way to get inspired and discover new ways of operating your own FRN chapter. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula for how to run your chapter, and it’s best to test a variety of different activities to identify which resonate with your members.