Upcoming Closures!
The Newton Food Pantry will be closed on Wednesday, April 29 and Thursday, April 30.
Two years after asking that question and after one year of successful freedge operations, the Newton Food Pantry feels proud to provide this much-needed resource for the community. The anonymity and 24/7 availability create a comfortable environment for all who are experiencing food insecurity. After a full year of operation, the freedge is still a busy place. On average, 11 shoppers per hour visit the freedge for supplemental food and personal care items. Sometimes within five minutes of restocking, the freedge can be completely empty!
We could not do this without the freedge’s amazing host Mark Levine, owner of Central Drapery & Dry Cleaning. He accommodates a ton of chaos in his small parking lot — people and cars streaming in and out all day long! And, he provided even more space to host a Welcome Home box!
Opening and keeping the freedge going is a community effort that requires an army of volunteers, partners and donors. We have the help of over 50 business partners, ranging from restaurants to bakeries to markets to nonprofits, who donate each week. Plus, the constant stream of donations from countless individuals in our community help keep the refrigerator and pantry full, which is what makes the effort sustainable. More than 150 volunteers from 12 local Newton community and religious organizations monitor, clean and stock the freedge, along with 24 team captains that lead the charge.
Get a feel for the community effort in our anniversary video below.
A big thank you to our freedge Coordinators, Sindy Wayne and Jen Riff. Starting and maintaining the freedge would not be possible without them! Another thank you to Deb Hall, the Newton Food Pantry Restocking Coordinator who plays a critical role in the freedge’s success. Deb, and her recruited restocking team, organizes and delivers the produce leftover from the Newton Food Pantry’s weekly client distribution, as well as purchases additional as-needed items. These efforts ensure there are at least 3–6 bags available for the freedge twice per day, every day. Menstrual products, donated quarterly by Dignity Matters, are also part of the daily restock.
In addition to our tireless volunteers, the freedge requires financial support. The Newton Food Pantry spends over $1,000 per week to support the twice-daily freedge restocking of purchased staples like milk, eggs, yogurt, produce, bread and canned goods. This does not include the produce, bread and dairy products that are left over after Wednesday shopping at the Newton Food Pantry. Electricity, trash removal and snow removal are also expenses incurred to run the freedge.
To help the freedge continue serving our neighbors for years to come, please consider making a financial donation today.
We are so thrilled the freedge has been available to our community for one year now. And, we are grateful for the commitment and care of our hardworking volunteers, business partners, donors and local community members for making this first year such a great success. We really could not do it without you. We look forward to many more great years at the freedge and invite all who want to get involved to contact newtoncommunityfreedge@gmail.com.