Rachel’s Table touts anniversary, expansion plans

Date: 10/4/2022

SPRINGFIELD – For the past 30 years, Rachel’s Table has addressed both food insecurity and food waste in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties and the organization’s executive director told Reminder Publishing food insecurity has grown in the region.

One of the reasons Jodi Falk cited, besides the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy, is the increasing costs of food due to inflation.

“The economy, food costs, there are so many factors [in food insecurity] that need to be rectified,” she said.

She added that during the coronavirus pandemic food insecurity doubled in the region.

Recently, the organization noted its 30th birthday at The Pamela S. Finer Volunteer Appreciation Evening, where its more than 200 volunteers were celebrated and the organization’s first refrigerated truck made its debut.

According to a statement released by the organization, “The program was created when nine service-minded members of Women’s Philanthropy, a philanthropic program from the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, decided to meet a local need that would make a real difference in many people’s lives. These women – Judy Ingis, Susanne Osofsky, Myra Gold, Liz Kittredge, Patty Belsky, Linda Skole, Ronnie Leavitt, Nancy Posnick and Daydie Hochberg – who ultimately became Rachel’s Table’s steering committee, went to Worcester on Sept. 16, 1992 to learn about the original Rachel’s Table program and came back determined that if there was food in Western Massachusetts going to landfill while people were going hungry, then they were going to start a food rescue program, a cutting-edge idea at the time, in Springfield.”

The volunteers collect food from supermarkets, restaurants, caterers and bakers that otherwise might be thrown out unnecessarily and deliver it to 53 food programs throughout the region. The food reaches those in need.

Falk said many of the founders are still involved in the organization.

With the emphasis today on seeking alternatives to landfills, Falk said the program was “ahead of its time.”

She added, “I can’t find the first food rescue program but it’s [Rachel’s Table] one of the oldest ones – many, many more have started in the last 10 years.”

Before the program started, “There was lots of food going to waste,” Falk said. “Food rescue is still offering an opportunity for people to do something [to help].”

The organization’s new program is one in which people are encouraged to grow their own food. Growing Gardens is a collaboration between Rachel’s Table, the food insecurity agencies and their constituents to grow their own healthy food. Falk said the program is a way for people to be part of the effort to address food insecurity.

Christina’s House in Springfield is one of the participating programs growing a garden, Falk noted.

The organization announced its plan for expansion with its 30th anniversary, which includes “providing an even larger volume of food to partner agencies with the arrival of a new refrigerated van starting in the fall; working with grocery stores like Inter Produce, wholesalers like C&S, and universities across the Pioneer Valley to provide more high nutritional-value food, and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to enhance our meat, dairy, and produce deliveries to partner agencies; expanding our Growing Gardens cohort criteria to include more diverse partners, including seniors, people with disabilities or without housing, and families in transition; kicking off another year of our Teen Board program comprised of a dynamic group of diverse teens who will support planning and mapping new directions for Rachel’s Table to focus on food equity and justice work in our community; expanding support to locally settled refugees while they wait for government services; and expanding Bea’s Harvest to include agency gleaning for constituents to glean for themselves and others and extending community on-call gleaning to encourage more community members to harvest produce for donation throughout the Pioneer Valley.”

Falk said the organization is always looking for volunteers and donations. To learn more go to https://rachelstablespringfield.org.