Local restaurants helping feed Vermonters in need
Thanks to an influx of government funding, restaurants in St. Albans are handing out meals to the hungry as part of a program that has served well over 1 million meals to Vermonters.
Food insecurity rates in Vermont have reached record highs during the pandemic, according to a research study performed by the Gund Institute at UVM. Coordinated for Franklin and Grand Isle counties by Healthy Roots Collaborative, an organization dedicated to strengthening food systems in Northwest Vermont, the Everyone Eats program brings food to those who need it while sustaining local restaurants and farms.
Everyone Eats has been feeding those impacted by the COVID pandemic since August of 2020. With initial funding from the state and continuing funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the program reimburses restaurants to serve $10 meals to community members for free.
St. Albans restaurants The Main Squeeze and Grazers are participating on demand through the Localvore app, while restaurants and caterers such as The Drake, Santini Catering, and The Dairy Center have partnered with Healthy Roots to distribute meals on a regular basis.
The program is unique because it’s also providing economic relief to restaurants and growers impacted by the crisis. 10% of the ingredients in Everyone Eats meals must be locally sourced, ensuring Vermont farmers are reaping benefits as well.
“We definitely feel supported by Everyone Eats just knowing that we’re going to have that income every week to rely on,” said Tessa Hill, co-owner of The Drake. “It just seems like all the parts of the community that really need it in this pandemic, you know, restaurants, farmers, and people struggling with food security, all those people are benefiting from this program.”
On April 29, Governor Phil Scott announced in a press release that the program had hit 1 million meals served. Over 200 Vermont restaurants contributed to that figure.
Some people, especially those who are newly food insecure, might be uncomfortable going to a food shelf, but Everyone Eats feels different, said Christine Porcaro, farm and food business coordinator at Healthy Roots.
“You eating this food also, you know, contributes to the vitality of the community that you’re living in, which brings dignity to food insecurity that it’s not getting a handout — that really you are a player in the economic vitality of the community that you’re living in, which is pretty awesome,” Porcaro said.
Although Jeremy Perez, owner of The Main Squeeze, wishes the online voucher option had more attention and doesn’t feel the program has played a huge role in keeping business moving for him during the pandemic, it was exciting for him to see it pull in new people to his plant-based restaurant.
“It also pushed plant-based food into people’s hands who would not have tried it otherwise, and we did see some of them come back,” Perez said. “I don’t think it sustained us, but I do think we saw some new faces and hopefully those people benefitted from that experience.”
While additional national funding from FEMA allowed Everyone Eats to continue past it’s initial end date in December of 2020, Christine Porcaro says that the current round of funding is set to end on June 30.
There are some concerns funding may run out prior to that date. Porcaro said everyone involved is keeping an eye out for future funding.
The group is working “to figure out what aspects of Everyone Eats would be able to continue to go. And that might look a bit different than it does right now, but I think it’s everyone’s hope that it can continue in some form or another,” Porcaro said.
How it works
To access meals through Everyone Eats: Fill out the form at everyoneeatsvt.com then download the Localvore Passport app to receive free vouchers which are redeemable at participating restaurants.
To pick up meals at Taylor Park in St. Albans on Tuesdays: Fill out the form that can be found in the bio of Healthy Roots’ instagram: @healthyrootsvt. There are additional meals available on a first come, first serve basis.
Editor’s note: This article was written by Luca Kolba, a student at the University of Vermont and a reporter for the Community News Service, a student-powered partnership with local community newspapers.
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