“The American Heart Association aims to be part of the solution by connecting food-insecure families with quality, nutrient-dense produce through a partnership with The Common Market,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
"The vision at The Common Market is to catalyze impact and partnerships across the value chain in support of building community food resiliency. In the wake of the pandemic, our work of supporting regional agriculture and food access efforts: we see it as a crucial strategy in ensuring a sustainable and equitable post-pandemic transition."
COVID-19 has increased childhood food insecurity rates. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia collaborated with Food Connect and The Common Market to deliver produce boxes to food-insecure families. Food Connect leveraged technology to use texting, scale delivery integrations, and optimize routing to deliver 95,000 pounds of food over a 16-week period. COVID-19 has increased childhood food insecurity rates. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia collaborated with Food Connect and The Common Market to deliver produce boxes to food-insecure families. Food Connect leveraged technology to use texting, scale delivery integrations, and optimize routing to deliver 95,000 pounds of food over a 16-week period.
"There's an opportunity with every dollar spent on food to impact our entire society." –Haile Johnston
Philadelphians working across the food supply chain have a vision for our local food system. Hear what they think a healthy, just, sustainable, fair Philadelphia food system could look like.
As school districts throughout the country switched to curbside meals when the pandemic hit last spring, The Common Market was looking for ways to help increase families’ fresh food access.
“We realized that we also needed to shift and adapt within the constraints of COVID and the challenges that imposed on many food distribution efforts,” says Rachel Terry, national partnerships director for The Common Market, a regional nonprofit food distributor working to connect local farmers to schools.
Together, the two nonprofits will source fruits and veggies from about a dozen farms across central and southeast Texas, including contributions from Houston refugee farming collective Plant It Forward Farms and Fresh Life Organics, along with Gundermann Acres in Wharton County. Part of The Common Market’s statewide network, these farms have offered to sell the kale, sweet potatoes, and winter citruses like oranges and grapefruit that weren’t destroyed by the winter storm to the organizations, making this a win-win prospect for both the farms and Houstonians in need of fresh food.
“Thankfully, regional food systems are resilient. Our community partners are resilient,” Smith says. “It’s about feeding people and providing nutrition, and it’s also about quality, having our produce boxes communicate ‘you matter’ to families.”
Jesica Medellin, project director for Galveston Independent School District’s Texas Afterschool Centers on Education program, carries a box of fresh produce to a car Tuesday. Medellin helped distribute 140 boxes of fresh produce from The Common Market to students and their families in need following the freeze last week.
Each box brimmed with cabbage, carrots and other vegetables grown at local farms throughout southeast Texas. The farms provide food for La Porte ISD year-round, through The Common Market Texas.
“We’re going to be able to feed thousands of people by the end of the week,” said Margo Robertson, outreach coordinator at The Common Market Texas.
1,000 boxes total were donated and they’ll be distributed throughout the area, helping area families as well as farms.
“Texas farmers are tough, and we stand together to help our neighbors,” continues Smith. “We are grateful to World Central Kitchen. Together, we are bringing relief to often-overlooked communities as well as a boost to our local economy.”
Our friendly and educated team is here to partner with you every step of the way. Connect today to learn of all the ways to partner with The Common Market.
"Not only are we supporting our local farmers, but my kids get to eat nutritionally dense and incredibly fresh produce. It's an incredible partnership that I am very proud to be a part of."
— Rylan Snodgrass, Food Service Director, SAGE Dining Services, River Oaks Baptist School, Houston, TX