Solving Hunger: Feed the Fridge Partners with Local Nonprofits, Paying Entrepreneurs to Provide Free Meals in Silver Spring, Maryland
Feed the Fridge partners with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to innovate another solution to solving hunger in the region with their new fridge at Mary's Center. The new location partners with Jalapeño Mexican Grill from the community kitchen of Crossroads Community Food Network to provide meals for those in need.
SILVER SPRING, Md., July 19, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Feed the Fridge, the innovative approach to battling food insecurity while helping the local economy in the Washington, D.C. region, will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Mary's Center in Silver Spring (344 University Blvd. West) on July 21 at 1:30 PM, to officially open its latest fridge.
Feed the Fridge places refrigerators at recreation centers, schools and other locations in D.C., Prince George's County and Montgomery County, then pays local area restaurants to stock them daily with delicious and nutritious meals. Anyone can come up and grab a meal, no questions asked.
This new Feed the Fridge location at Mary's Center is the result of a creative collaboration with three nonprofits. The fridge will be stocked daily with meals prepared by local business owners who are growing their brand with the support of Crossroads Community Food Network's Community Kitchen operated in partnership with Mary's Center. This innovative pilot was made possible through a seed investment from Food for Montgomery, the public-private initiative led by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, Montgomery County, and the Montgomery County Food Council to address the rise in food insecurity caused by the pandemic.
"I'm very grateful to Mary's Center, Crossroads Community Food Network, the Greater Washington Community Foundation, and the hundreds of donors behind the Food for Montgomery initiative," said Mark Bucher, co-owner of Medium Rare Restaurant Group and founder of Feed the Fridge/We Care, Inc. "Thanks to their generosity and openness to collaboration, we will be turning food insecurity into meal security for many hungry kids, families and seniors in Silver Spring."
Speakers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony will include:
- Mark Bucher, Founder, Feed the Fridge
- Maria Gomez, President and CEO, Mary's Center
- Anna Hargrave, Executive Director for Montgomery County, Greater Washington Community Foundation
- Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando
- Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer
- Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson
- Maryland Senator Susan C. Lee
- Maryland Delegate Jheanelle K. Wilkins
- Maryland Delegate Pamela Queen
"We are excited to be part of Feed the Fridge's regional network of meal locations," said Maria Gomez, President and CEO of Mary's Center. "Thousands of our families have been struggling to get food on their table during this pandemic and this initiative is a perfect fit for our integrated model of healthcare, education and social services that puts our participants on a path towards good health, stability, and economic independence."
The meals prepared by the food entrepreneurs from Crossroads Community Food Network will have the same nutritious mix of protein, starch and vegetable/fruit as Feed the Fridge's restaurant-prepared dishes. One big difference: These meals are coming directly from people in the community. "Ciro Fernandez and Aracely Lara have been building their catering business, Jalapeño Mexican Grill, over the past three years and are excited to be contributing in this way," said Lauren Goldberg of Crossroads Community Food Network. "Ciro and Aracely's food is healthy and delicious and we're proud to support them in feeding the community."
"Over the past year, Food for Montgomery has partnered with local government, generous
donors, and extraordinary nonprofit and faith-based food providers to make sure our neighbors
across Montgomery County could access nutritious food while the pandemic ravaged our
community," explains Anna Hargrave, The Community Foundation's Executive Director for
Montgomery County. "Feed the Fridge is stellar example of how Food for Montgomery's grants
are finding innovative strategies to make sure no one in our community has to go to bed
hungry."
About We Care, Inc.
We Care, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID: #36-4967718) helping to fund "Feed the Fridge," which provides daily meals to school children, seniors, families, at-risk individuals, and anyone experiencing food insecurity in and around Washington, D.C. Visit: feedthefridge.org.
About Mary's Center
Mary's Center is a community health center serving more than 60,000 people of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds in the Washington, DC metro area for over 30 years. Visit: maryscenter.org.
About Crossroads Community Food Network
Crossroads Community Food Network works to create a healthier, more inclusive food system in the Takoma/Langley Crossroads area. Visit: crossroadscommunityfoodnetwork.org.
About Greater Washington Community Foundation
The Greater Washington Community Foundation exists to build thriving communities by guiding strategic philanthropy, providing leadership on critical issues, promoting civic engagement, and inspiring local giving. Visit: thecommunityfoundation.org.
Media Contact
Mark Bucher, Feed the Fridge, 301-755-7903, [email protected]
Marc Silverstein, On The Marc Media, 202-716-9123, [email protected]
SOURCE Feed the Fridge
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