For the Food Recovery Network at the University of Vermont (FRN at UVM) Treasurer Karolyn Moore, service is a key component of the college experience. She's been a member of the student-run club on campus for four years, and spent most of her Sundays serving a free brunch for community members in need at Feeding Chittenden: a non-profit food shelf in Burlington's Old North End. With campus' recent closure, however, her organization is looking to alternative means to fundraise to continue to hold weekly meals for 30-40 patrons.
The Food Recovery Network is a nationwide organization that aims to end hunger in cities across America. Currently, there are 200 active chapters at the university level; UVM's chapter has fifteen leadership members and has connected with nearly seven-hundred students over the year. Members participate in both the free weekend brunch service, but also "recover" food from campus dining locations and deliver it to Feeding Chittenden. In the summer, the organization focuses its efforts on recovering food from area farmers markets, where it would otherwise be thrown away, and repurposing it into meals for patrons. Any food not packaged into meals is then distributed via Feeding Chittenden's food shelf program, which serves more than 10,000 households in the area annually.
FRN at UVM relies on fundraising to gather the supplies for their weekly Sunday brunch, as well as for the ingredients necessary to finish the summer meals donated to Feeding Chittenden. The bulk of this fundraising is normally done through the Battle of the Campus Chefs, an event that draws crowds of UVM students to dining halls to sample and taste tasty creations from UVM Dining's staff. But with the campus closure amid COVID-19, FRN was forced to cancel their fundraiser and find another way to support their programs.
The organization is currently running a raffle to fundraise for their service expenditures. Tickets can be purchased here and prizes include gift cards to local food venues, foodie gift baskets, and even badge passes to popular ski resorts.
Although Karolyn will miss the energetic, friendly-competition of the Battle of the Campus Chefs, she's been nothing but grateful for what FRN at UVM has given her over the past couple of years. Both she and club President Adrianna Grinder express how much their organization has allowed them to leave a tangible impact on the community around them. They're now hoping that members of the UVM community and beyond will do their part. "Being able to cook and serve at Feeding Chittenden on Sunday mornings is one of my favorite parts of the week," Grinder says. "This fundraiser makes sure we are able to do that."
Hungry to get involved with the Food Recovery Network at UVM? Prospective members can contact the club at FRNatUVM@gmail.com.