Help Us Feed Friends By Feeding Foodie!

The Friends of Mascoma Foundation is committed to combating food insecurity in the Macoma Valley Regional School District (MVRSD) through our Friends Feeding Friends program. The program launched in February 2016 and has grown exponentially over the past few years. Friends Feeding Friends decreases food insecurity and increases food access to all residents of the MVRSD.

Our program operates two food pantries, one in Canaan and one in Enfield, plus it is the primary source of food and personal hygiene items for the pantry located inside Mascoma Valley Regional High School. Pantry shoppers can come once a week for a three-day supply of food. We have refrigeration on site, so we focus on fresh produce, meats and dairy products as well as non-perishables. We also supply food for snacks, backpacks, family food boxes as needed and other pantry items to the elementary and middle schools. We supplement the school and Ecumenical Council Thanksgiving provisions by providing turkeys.Similarly, in December we provide food for the Mascoma Valley firefighters and EMS. We rely on a loyal group of volunteers to staff our pantries, sort food, and to assist with other projects as needed.

We partner with many local organizations to bring more nutritional opportunities into the district including the New Hampshire Food Bank, Willing Hands, Tri-County CAP, Mascoma Valley Ecumenical Council, the Mascoma Valley firefighters and first responders, Price Chopper, Shaw’s, community gardens, local farms and more.

In 2018 we had 1934 household visits to our food pantries and distributed 138,632 pounds of food within our school district. On average we provide food assistance to 100 households a month. Since inception, we have received and distributed over 400,000 pounds of food, serviced over 2290 households, and have over 400 registered clients.

For the past several years a generous private donor has allowed us to use their vehicles, including a van and trailer, for food distribution. Use of these vehicles is essential to our Friends Feeding Friends program. The van has become a beloved part of our work and has been dubbed 'Foodie' by everyone familiar with our work. Our Volunteers and Foodie travel to the New Hampshire Food Bank once a week. Foodie also travels to Price Chopper and Shaw’s in West Lebanon and transports food to three different locations on a weekly basis. Foodie also helps transport food for school families during school breaks.

Earlier this year the private supporter donated both Foodie and the trailer to Friends of Mascoma Foundation, but we will now assume the costs associated with both vehicles.

This donor has also provided financial assistance for our Friends Feeding Friends program in other ways and while we are extremely grateful for their support, we are interested in both our organization’s financial diversity and long-term sustainability. That said, we plan to assume financial responsibility for our online volunteer scheduling software, cleaning services at our distribution site, and stretch wrap needed for food transportation. Participation in the TLC Upper Valley initiative through Vital Communities is an exciting opportunity for the Friends of Mascoma Foundation as we become more financially independent and continue to deliver our services to the community.

We pride ourselves on thinking out of the box when it comes to delivering our services, staying connected to the community and participating in the local economy. Support out Friends Feeding Foodie Campaign today!