Gathering a Food Community
Access to healthy, locally grown food should be a right, not a privilege. Yet, economic barriers make obtaining nutritious, local food difficult. Fortunately, community-driven initiatives are expanding access, educating people on seasonal cooking, and bringing neighbors together around shared meals.
A strong local food system thrives when the entire community comes together to grow, prepare, rescue, and share food. We spoke with The Hunger Coalition (THC) about how you can help create a more inclusive food system for everyone.
Community Gardens
Community gardens are a direct way to support local food access. THC offers volunteer opportunities at Hope Garden in Hailey and the Bloom Community Food Center Garden in Bellevue. Volunteers help with planting, soil preparation, weeding, and harvesting. The produce goes into The Hunger Coalition’s food distribution and community meals.
These “Volunteer for Veggies” events run from June to September on Mondays (5:30 - 7:00 pm) and Wednesdays (5:30 - 7:00 pm) at the Hope Garden in Hailey, and Thursdays (10:30 am - 12:00 pm) at the Bloom Community Food Center in Bellevue—no registration required. Every volunteer takes home fresh produce! Visit thehungercoalition.org/community-gardens for details.
The Community Kitchen
The Bloom Community Food Center’s Community Kitchen offers opportunities for everyone to help, from experienced chefs to beginning cooks. Volunteers come together to prepare nutritious free community meals, served every Monday (4-6 pm) and Thursday (12-2 pm).
To sharpen your seasonal cooking skills, join the Cooking Club, a weekly class on Tuesdays where a diverse group of participants prepare and enjoy a meal together.
There can only be so many cooks in the kitchen though. Both of these kitchen-based events require registration. Visit this webpage for details: thehungercoalition.org/community-kitchen/
Food Rescue
n 2023, 38% of the U.S. food supply went unsold or uneaten (ReFED). THC rescues safe, high-quality food from local grocery stores and restaurants, redirecting it to community members. Volunteers with flexible schedules are needed to collect food when it is available. Interested in helping? Contact Lynea Newcomer.
Gleaning
Fresh fruit is expensive, yet a large percentage of locally grown fruit goes unharvested each fall. THC mobilizes volunteers to pick apples, cherries, apricots, pears, and more, from private landowners’ trees that would otherwise go uneaten. The gleaned fruit is distributed through the food pantry and community meals. Do you have a fruit tree in your yard that doesn’t get harvested? Let The Hunger Coalition help. They always need more pickers too!
A resilient, equitable food system depends on community participation. Whether volunteering in gardens, preparing meals, rescuing surplus food, or sharing locally grown food, everyone can contribute.
We invite you to engage with the Valley’s food system. Together, we can ensure fresh, local food is accessible to all.
For volunteer opportunities, contact The Hunger Coalition at info@thehungercoalition.org.
