Upcoming Closures!
The Newton Food Pantry will be closed on Wednesday, April 29 and Thursday, April 30.
As luck would have it, Deb’s availability aligned perfectly with a new idea that the Newton Food Pantry was hatching. An outdoor, 24-hour free refrigerator and pantry that would become the Newton Community freedge.
“Regina [Wu, Newton Food Pantry President] laid out her plans for the freedge, and I saw it as an exciting startup venture,” Deb remembers. “We spent all last winter getting ready for the launch in March. I became the restocking coordinator which meant I would help deploy the weekly surplus produce from the Wednesday food distribution at the pantry and make sure it got packaged up in grocery bags that could go to the freedge through the various community groups that volunteer.”
As the freedge reaches its one-year anniversary, Deb has become an integral part of its operations, organizing the twice-daily restock that the Newton Food Pantry provides, as well as purchasing any additional items as needed to ensure that there are at least 3–6 bags available for the freedge twice per day, every day. “I have a team of 8–10 individuals who help package food from the Newton Food Pantry and either take it directly to the freedge or leave it out for the teams who pick it up and deliver it,” she says. “It’s a logistics role, which I like. I also do the monthly financial accounting of how freedge resources are spent.”
Being part of the freedge team has given Deb a unique perspective on the dynamics of need in Newton. “What’s so surprising to me is that the ‘Take What You Need, Leave What You Can’ concept really happens,” she says. “It’s not like there are only ‘givers’ and ‘takers.’ Many clients bring things that they can share with others. I’ve been so inspired by the clients who are so ready to greet you when you come with bags, help you unload, and are so delighted to see what’s available. They are as amazed as I am about the incredible generosity of this community.”
Deb’s deep love for food and cooking is another reason she feels so connected to the Newton Food Pantry and the freedge. “Whenever I’m volunteering I run into people who want to talk about food. Clients who appreciate good food are always overjoyed to open the freedge and see all the wonderful soups and prepared meals from so many generous restaurants. They know it’s all made with love.”
Working with the Newton Food Pantry and the freedge has provided another benefit that Deb wasn’t expecting: “When you move to Newton in your late 50s, it’s harder to meet people than you think,” she says. “Because of the inclusion focus that the pantry has come up with, I’ve been able to meet people from all around the community, including young families, retired people like myself, people from different backgrounds. Because the volunteer opportunities are ‘bite sized’, people are fitting them into their early mornings, weekends, whenever they have the time, which means so many more people can be part of the community.”