Help FoodCommune Eliminate Food Waste!

Please help us build a shed to store more rescued food!

 

FoodCommune needs more storage space. We have been needing a large shed for three years, ever since we debuted the Mooler (refrigerated truck) in July 2019. The Mooler has been providing that critical cold storage space, and frankly, we need a second Mooler now- but first, we need more pantry space. We have been growing steadily, increasing the amounts of food that we are rescuing throughout Atlanta. We need a large storage shed to help us responsibly handle all this excess food! And now, with our new permanent space, we finally have a place to put it!!

 

FoodCommune is a freegan co-op. Our mission is to rescue good food from grocery stores, food pantries, farmer's markets, restaurants, bakeries, events, etc. that otherwise would have ended up in a landfill and get it directly into the homes of Atlanta families.

 

How do we do this? FoodCommune volunteers coordinate with people and organizations to get the food, provide a venue for distribution, and prepare the food for people to take home.

 

The success of FoodCommune is a win-win situation for the environment AND for people. Good food gets diverted from landfills and distributed at a lower cost than it does when it goes through the food distribution cycle. Being a volunteer-run co-op means that we don’t have to charge grocery store prices, but instead ask for donations at about 80% less than retail prices. These savings are passed on to everyone who gets their groceries at FoodCommune!

 

So, how do we rescue MORE food and reach MORE people? Next step: an ample storage shed!

 

Q&A

 

Q1. “But… you get the food for FREE. What do you need money for?”

 

Freeganism is the heart and mission of our organization. We are a freegan food co-op: we rescue food then share it among our participating members. Members themselves also share in the costs of getting the food rescued and distributed: the costs of locating, picking up, unboxing, sorting, preparing, loading, transporting, storing, refrigerating/freezing, displaying, etc. the food. We are a co-op (self-supporting) rather than a charity (externally-funded), thus we pay these costs ourselves rather than have others pay them for us. Current operating costs for FoodCommune total approximately $30,000 annually. If you're curious about the details of these costs, you can see the full 2021 budget workup here: https://www.foodcommune.org/financial-transparency. In short: last year FoodCommune made $81.02 net profit and Pam made 30 cents/hour.

 

Q2. "Why is so much food being wasted in this country?"

 

In a word: Overproduction. We have a massive overproduction of food in this country. 40% of food produced in the US is not eaten. Companies, concerned mainly with their profit margins, are generally NOT motivated to address the problem of food waste. Companies are unwilling to reduce profit margins by cutting back their production or by handling their excesses responsibly. Neither is our government stepping in to address this problem of food waste. The result? Food keeps being overproduced, and the resulting excesses keep NOT being handled responsibly. Meanwhile, over 49 million Americans live in food-insecure households. The environment and our society continue to suffer. As long as the root problem of overproduction continues, FoodCommune can help mitigate its damaging consequences by getting excess food diverted from landfills to people.

 

Q3. "FoodCommune raised their Sponsorship costs and last year- where is the extra money going?"

Any donations that we receive in any calendar year above the base operating costs of approximately $30,000 annually will be spent on expanding our operation, i.e., expanding our ability to rescue food in Atlanta.

 

Q4. “What will you do with the GoFundMe donations?”

 

Future Goals for FoodCommune:

 

1. Storage shed - $40,000

 

2. Sufficient space/transport for frozen goods: 26ft reefer truck - $84,375 to buy it, then run it for 1 year.

 

$50,000 initial purchase price.

+

$27,375 gas to run it -- 1st year.

($75 a day running diesel fuel. 75 x 365 = 27,375 )

+

$5,000 insurance -- 1st year.

+

$2,000 repair/maintenance costs -- 1st year.

 

This 26ft reefer truck holds 12 pallets.

 

3. Equipping our new space with walk-in refrigerators and freezers: $60,000

Q5. I want to donate, but what is Feeding Georgia Families?

FoodCommune operates under fiscal sponsorship of Feeding GA Families, a registered 501c3 nonprofit.

 

Q6. “Why doesn’t FoodCommune just apply for grants?”

 

FoodCommune has applied for many grants and has been rejected countless times because of our unconventional model. Unfortunately, grants aren't just given to those in need, even if they are providing a service; rather, grants are aligned with specific goals determined by the entity giving the funds.

 

 

Every single one of you who comes out to FoodCommune to get food, donate, volunteer, spread the word- YOU are an invaluable part of our small, local co-op. We are calling on your financial support to help us acquire this storage shed and fulfill the next step in our mission.

 

Thank you for helping reduce food waste in Atlanta!!