We have an audacious goal at Food for Others this holiday season. We know that there are families in need of food that we’re not reaching, and we’re going to do something about it. We’re counting on you to help.

A couple of posts ago, I wrote about the economics of living in our region and how many people struggle even though they have a job, or two. The math just doesn’t work. My office window overlooks our parking lot, and sometimes I watch people come and go as they collect their groceries. I’m always struck by how people arrive- in cars of all kinds, on foot, by bus, Uber/Lyft, and even by taxi. I see taxis almost every day. Can you imagine that math problem? The one where you spend precious dollars to taxi to a food pantry because that’s the best option you have?

The thing is, for every person who arrives in a taxi, there are many more who don’t come at all because they can’t afford it.

It’s been a dream of ours for a long time to have a mobile emergency food pantry. We have been thinking and planning for over a year on how to reach underserved neighborhoods.  You might be wondering how this would be different from our neighborhood site distributions. Our neighborhood sites offer supplemental food. That is extra food we send out to add to what families already have. Emergency food is different. It includes everything a household needs for 3-5 days including milk and eggs that we purchase. It’s a short term solution for people in crisis.

The part of the mobile pantry I’m most excited about is partnering with health clinics. They’re already working with us to screen kids for food insecurity. When they find people who are hungry, they write a prescription for food which we then fill, if they can get to our warehouse. How much better would it be to have a fully stocked truck right there on site?

We’ve done our homework and made our plans. Now we’re coming to you to help make it a reality. Will you make a donation to help us launch our mobile food program?  It would mean so much to us and the people we serve.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Food for Others.

Alison Padget is Food for Others’ Director of Development & Outreach.