Norwalk Food Distribution
Norwalk Mutual Aid/Ayuda Mutua aims to deliver food to anyone who needs it in our city, as part of our work to build a thriving community in which no one is left behind.
Leader
Suzanne McFate
Location
3 Brook St Norwalk, CT 06850
About the project
****Para leer la información en español, favor de hacer clic en la pestaña que dice "Updates"****Norwalk Mutual Aid/Ayuda Mutua started as a way to build community connections on a peer-to-peer basis, for individuals to help each other get their needs met during the COVID-19 crisis. We've already helped over 120 households through our radically inclusive network of neighbors helping neighbors, but the need for food assistance has grown far beyond our capacity to help through individual shopping trips.
This project is the beginning of an effort to grow our current small-scale food collection and distribution program. We need funds to purchase supplies for making deliveries, cleaning and organizing our collection site, and keeping our volunteers safe. Most of all, we need funds to purchase fresh produce and other grocery items at wholesale rates, in order to provide more complete deliveries to more households.
Here's what we deliver. Some of these items are covered by donations, but the more we can purchase at cost, the more families we can help, with greater efficiency! BASIC PRODUCE 5 PBJ 2.25 Chicken 5.5 Milk 2.5 Eggs 1 Snacks 1 Bread or Tortillas 1 Soup 1 Cereal 1 Pasta 1 Pasta Sauce 1 Rice 1 Beans 1 Canned tomato or tomato sauce 0.75 Can of tuna or other meat 1.06 Total cost per family of 3-4: $26.06The Steps
Week of June 15: we will use initial funds to replenish our stock of delivery supplies such as food-grade plastic bags, labels, paper and ink for printed materials, cleaning and safety products for our space and volunteers, etc.June 19: volunteers will pick up fresh foods and dry goods from suppliers to provide in distribution June 20.
June 20: volunteers will pack, load and deliver food to 90+ households in Norwalk!
Week of June 22: we will finalize a plan for our first distribution of July (as an alternative to delivering on the 1st Saturday which is July 4th) On or around July 1: we will distribute food to 90 families in Norwalk! July 17: volunteers will pick up fresh foods and dry goods from suppliers to provide in distribution July 18. July 18: volunteers will pack, load and deliver food to up to 100 families in Norwalk!Throughout July: we will continue to pursue relationships with local farmers and wholesale vendors to increase our support for ethical, sustainable Connecticut agriculture and manufacturing.
Why we‘re doing it
Norwalk Mutual Aid/Ayuda Mutua aims to help everyone in our community feed themselves and their family, with no eligibility requirements or restrictions.
During the COVID-19 crisis, not everyone can get the assistance they need from the government or existing charities. Social services are overwhelmed, and many individuals and families can't access resources due to immigration status; means testing; language, literacy, or technology barriers; transportation issues; age, illness, or disability; and many other factors.
We will not stand by and watch members of our community be left behind. We recognize that our wellbeing is interconnected, and that we all can survive and thrive by sharing what we have and working together. We are a radically inclusive, completely transparent, community-led network of neighbors helping neighbors, and we invite you to join us in building a stronger, more equitable Norwalk for all.