SALEM — Three local organizations have partnered together to fight food insecurity in Essex County.
Salem-based Root, The Acord Food Pantry, and Three Sisters — which are all dedicated to providing access to nutritious food — have teamed up to create healthy meal kits for families and seniors in the county.
The initiative comes at a time when food insecurity has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left many families without a steady source of income.
Graduates of Root’s culinary-training program — youth who have been left out of the workforce — are employed to prepare 500 to 1,000 meals each week for those in need across the North Shore. This program aligns with Root’s mission, which is to help young adults create a pathway to independence through food-service training and employment, according to Root.
“This pilot program is showing great promise, with area agencies reaching out to set up similar programs for other communities facing food insecurity who would benefit from access to fresh produce and ingredients in an accessible format,” said Root Managing Chef Sam Hunt. “We could not do this work without partners, and together, we are building a more equitable local food system. We are meeting a key need in our area, while providing meaningful employment and a living wage for youth employed and trained in the Root kitchen.”
According to Root, the new program is needed in Massachusetts, where food insecurity has increased at the highest rate in the U.S. During the pandemic, the economic inequality that already existed on the North Shore has worsened; this project seeks to address this problem by providing food to those who do not have access to fresh produce and ingredients, or in some instances, lack access to a kitchen to prepare healthy meals.
With this partnership, youth kitchen alumni at Root use produce grown by Three Sisters at its Ipswich farm to create a crockpot-meal kit, which contains pre-measured seasoning, protein, chopped vegetables, and stock; included in the kits are simple instructions, which allow families to create a warm meal with the ingredients provided.
Thanks to a generous donation, Acord Food Pantry in Hamilton was able to distribute 33 of these crockpot-meal kits to client households in September. Program participants will receive weekly meal kits through November.
Recent meal kits have included chicken curry, coconut-squash stew, turkey gumbo and Italian-chicken stew. Each kit is designed to feed one-to-six people in a household; the kits also include fresh-salad greens and bread rolls, according to Root.
“These crockpot-meal kits are absolutely fantastic,” said a senior client from Ipswich. “Excellent recipes; I really appreciate the crockpot and food (they) put in it.”
Three Sisters Executive Director Elizabeth Green said Root and Acord have been key partners in helping their farm reach people in need of fresh, local produce.
“The expertise of Root’s kitchen crew, making our vegetables even more accessible and easy to use, as well as Acord’s direct work with people in need — this is exactly what partnerships are: working together to combine skills to make a difference in the community,” said Green. “We are thrilled to be in this partnership and look forward to much more in the 2022 growing season.”
Root alumna employee Lucy Pecina, of Beverly, is pleased about the program as well.
“The great thing about Root is that all of the food we work with and prepare is healthy and fresh,” said Pecina.
This program, which will continue through the end of November, is funded by individual donors, The Cummings Foundation, and in-kind support from each of the partner organizations.
Hannah Chadwick can be reached at [email protected].
