Celebrating Seven Years!
Thanks to Ongoing Community Support and Collaboration
Small Beginnings and a Leap Of Faith
Seven years ago, on March 17, 2016, our dedicated founders Alison Jolicoeur, Jean Rambush McGee, and Martha Elder took a tremendous leap of faith. They embarked on our mission of elevating the health of people and our planet through food rescue. They started with one grocery store and one soup kitchen, and in the first six weeks, they connected over 1,125 pounds of food with hungry people. But, they saw the potential for so much more, and WOW has, their impact grown since – Stay tuned to see all the growth of last year in our 2022 Impact Report – coming soon!
"I think the story of Second Chance Foods is, 'Just start where you are.' We were simply three moms who became aware of an issue and decided to do something about it. I love the Margaret Mead quote, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.’ That’s what we’re doing - one meal, one box of groceries at a time.” - Martha Elder, Executive Director
Community Focused Solutions
In the beginning, there was no funding outside of what Alison, Jean, and Martha contributed, but that didn’t stop them from forging ahead. With a lot of grit, tenacity, and passion for improving the community, they moved Second Chance Foods forward. Together, they built connections, recruited volunteers, sourced funding, and learned and listened to the community’s needs to create innovative programs that helped fill the gaps in hunger relief. Take a look at one of the first videos of Alison showing off everything they rescued from Foodtown and were able to connect to the Peekskill Salvation Army!
Take a look at one of the first videos of Alison showing off everything they rescued from Foodtown and were able to connect to the Peekskill Salvation Army!
"I remember during the first couple of years the 3 of us would have our board meetings in a coffee shop. I would look around and wonder at all the life altering, social changing possibilities that are created in the corner coffee shops around the world and how our 3 person entity could become life changing.
I was not able at the time to fully envision the impact of how Second Chance Foods could and would be altering and impacting the environment, people's lives, and the need and awareness of food justice." - Jean
Ongoing Innovation in Hunger Relief
Now, seven years later, Second Chance Foods is a hub for hunger relief – connecting fresh groceries and meals with people and partner organizations to feed more of our community in need. We are constantly in awe of the incredible community support – last year, over 270 volunteers donated more than 8,500 hours of their time to ensure our neighbors who rely on us for fresh, healthy groceries and meals were fed. We’re excited to carry this trajectory onward with the same passion as when we started seven years ago. It’s time for more innovation in our food system, filled with hope, peace, purpose, and support for those who need it, while continually elevating health for people and the planet.
Growth Through The Years
2016-2017 - The Beginnings
March 16, 2016, Second Chance Foods is officially a nonprofit and begins rescuing food from grocery stores. 1,125 pounds recovered in the first six weeks! Our first year started with only one grocery store but grew to include volunteers harvesting produce from the Glynwood and Common Ground Farms.
“What I remember most about the first year of Second Chance Foods is the tomatoes! I was picking up truck loads of tomatoes and we couldn't distribute them fast enough! That's when it became clear that the food we were getting needed to be processed, and Martha spearheaded our Farm to Food Pantry Project. Now when we get a truck load of tomatoes, it's turned into a delicious tomato sauce - a comforting and nourishing food that everyone can enjoy!” - Alison
The Second Chance Foods kitchen cooked its first meal in June of 2017 from 60 pounds of imperfect carrots gleanned from Glynwood Farm. You may recall that these carrots were transformed into a delicious Carrot Ginger Soup and set the stage for thousands of meals to follow. In 2017 the Kitchen only cooked foods during the summer and into fall, using harvest produce. Now, we’re able to cook year-round two days a week with an additional two days of prep!
2018-2019 - Ongoing Growth
The following years were a continuation of growth as Second Chance Foods added volunteers, community support and partnerships, and funding to develop programs. The “Farm to Food Pantry” meals saw incredible growth using a mixture of seasonal produce and grocery donations cooking year round.
Our community partnerships also expanded to include Putnam ARC and Careers Support Solutions, providing meaningful internships to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. We continue to be proud of all the ways these interns contribute to our mission and are proud to provide them with purpose, dignity, and an important way to give back.
Thanks to the Rotary Club of Southeast we were also able to grow our capacity and improve our flexibility surrounding rescue with their donation of a mobile cooler in 2019!
"I'm proud of the program that most sets us apart from other entities providing food for soup kitchens, food pantries, and homeless shelters, the fact that we make meals. Not everyone has access to stoves or ovens. A large population out there may only have access to a hot plate or microwave. By making meals our recipients have access to real food no matter their circumstances. " - Jean
2020-2021 - A Pivotal Shift
In 2020, as the lower Hudson Valley experienced the impact of the pandemic, Second Chance Foods found ways to take action and nourish our neighbors. These three innovative programs were quickly created in response to the increased need for food assistance that impacted our community.
When schools switched to remote learning in March, the need for food assistance spread beyond free school lunches. Many parents and families were also experiencing food insecurity for the first time. To meet this need, Second Chance Foods provided a box of groceries for families through Carmel Central School District for the remaining 15 weeks of school. In school pickup meant no additional stops and a reduced stigma of needing help. These grocery boxes were primarily filled with fresh produce to nourish both children and their caretakers.
For the 10 weeks of summer vacation, when local school districts were not able to provide free meals, we stepped up and helped.
Each week families picked up a box of groceries and prepared meals from the Second Chance Foods Kitchen.
We could not stand by and allow these children to suffer from hunger during the school break.
Summer is no vacation without adequate food.
In order to protect our most vulnerable neighbors and provide them with nourishing food, the weekly meal delivery program began in April 2020. The pandemic increased food insecurity, while it also made it harder for many to access food pantries.
This community partnership is the work of Second Chance Foods, County Legislator Toni Addonizio and Mount Carmel Baptist Church. Together we addressed the issue of limited public transportation in a rural county, and the risk of exposure, with a weekly home delivery option.
This program continues to this day in order to elevate the health of all our neighbors in need. Since 2020 it has grown to feed over 300 people every week!
The pandemic highlighted a lot of barriers to receiving food assistance. However, transportation remains a significant reason why many people in our community do not receive the help they need. Unlike other food organizations, Second Chance Foods does not have income thresholds or other requirements for participation.
2022 - 2023 and onward
Last year was an incredible year of growth at Second Chance Foods! Because of your support, we were able to grow our capacity and hire additional staff, we added two cold storage units to increase the amount of food we’re able to move, we added SIX new programs to our existing 12 partnerships, and increased our meal production 36%. As we look into 2023 and beyond our focus remains grounded in filling the gaps between the safety nets and peoples lived reality so that no one in our community is unsupported.
Two NEW cold storage units to expand the amount of food we can connect with community members in need. Many of our hunger relief partners don’t have the space to keep fresh food cool so we help supply them with the fresh foods and our homemade meals from our kitchen to provide their recipients and add more nutrients to their diets.
We’ve highlighted Bountiful Meals in the past – read more here! But, one reason this program is a favorite of ours is because it reduces stigma and obstacles for seniors to nourish themselves. It’s a wonderful example of the strengths of community partnership and we’re proud to be a part of it!
Like our weekly meals, we’re always looking for new ways to connect more food with people who need it. Including our dream of developing a mobile food program that can fill the gaps in food access by providing it in areas of need! Take a look at the Cornell Cooperative Interactive map to see more about where food is harder to get and the area’s income levels.
Help Us Celebrate!
The last seven years of growth have only been possible because of community support like yours. Please consider making a gift today to help us celebrate everything we’ve done together to feed our neighbors and nourish the community. Make a gift of $7 or more in honor of our 7th Birthday and we’ll thank you with a special celebratory dessert recipe – Strawberry Spoon Cake!
