The Spoonfuls Difference
Fresh food is wasted every day, even as people struggle to access it. The challenge isn’t that there isn’t enough food – it’s distribution
Spoonfuls exists to solve that problem. We recover excess food while it’s still good to eat and deliver it the same day to community-based food programs across Massachusetts.
Our approach is simple by design – and it’s what makes Spoonfuls different.
Making the Most of Food
At Spoonfuls, we source excess or unsold food from places like grocery stores, wholesalers, farms, school and corporate cafeterias, and more.
By the time that food reaches the community-based food programs in our network, significant resources have already been spent to grow, harvest, pack, and ship it into and within our state. By keeping this perfectly good food out of the waste stream, we ensure the environmental impact of producing it wasn’t in vain while providing a critical nutrition resource.
Think about it like this: At Spoonfuls, our focus is, first and foremost, on preventing waste by finding a home for food that, if we didn’t intercept it, might never feed people. This is different from organizations, like food banks, that partner with or purchase specific kinds and quantities of food from retailers to meet their missions.
Fun fact: We recover and distribute the more than 6 million pounds of food we recover – enough for nearly 5 million meals annually – at no cost to our partners.
“Week after week, Spoonfuls ensures that our fridges are stocked with fresh, high-quality food so that individuals and families in our community have reliable access to nourishment.
Their consistency, care, and commitment has transformed what we are able to offer. Because of the weekly food deliveries, our neighbors do not just find food – they find dignity, stability, and the reassurance that their community cares about their well-being.” – Carla Delacruz Davila, Co-founder & President, The WellStorm, Inc.
Focus on Fresh Food
Over 90% of the food Spoonfuls recovers is fresh. We focus on recovering primarily perishable foods, which are both the most often wasted due to their shorter shelf life and the most sought after by our community partners. Fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and more contain important nutrients, yet they’re often out of reach to people on a tight budget due to their higher price tags.
“The variety of food we receive from Spoonfuls is an enormous plus. Getting meat, produce, and prepared meals from their drop-offs gives us more flexibility to provide a broader range in our pantry so pantry users can get more of the foods they want and need. There were times before our partnership with Spoonfuls when we went entirely without sought-after products, like fresh produce, because they weren’t always available to us. Now, Spoonfuls’ deliveries provide us with those quality, sought-after foods week after week. It’s just amazing to have that increase in the quantity, quality, and variety of the food we offer at the pantry.” – Eric Segundo, Director of Veterans Services, Ludlow Veterans Center
Same Day Delivery, No Warehouse
Our food recovery vehicles start and end the day empty. That’s because we distribute all the food we recover on the same day we pick it up. We do not have a warehouse to store food overnight.
That’s because of our focus on perishable foods. We prioritize redistributing what we recover quickly and safely so that our end-recipients can enjoy the food while it’s still fresh and delicious.
Professional Team Dedicated to Safety + Reliability
We employ a ServSafe-certified frontline Food Recovery team, which operates our fleet of refrigerated vehicles. They come to know our partners, including food donors and community partners, well.
In this way, we guarantee not only the highest standards for food safety but also service reliability. Partners can count on us to show up and to make thoughtful matches between available food and people’s needs.
“Jon and Rich [Food Recovery Coordinators at Spoonfuls] understand our unique needs. They know, for example, that bigger, whole fruits aren’t great for our clients. Many are older adults dealing with mobility issues, so chopping something like a watermelon can be challenging. On the other hand, Jon and Rich know berries and pre-cut fruit are great for our clients because they’re nutritious and no chopping is involved! We always appreciate receiving them.” Beth Baron, Food Pantry Coordinator, The East Longmeadow Food Pantry
Logistics Experts + Connectors
The reason so much perfectly good waste goes to waste is because of the time and effort it can take to find a home for that food and transport it.
That’s where Spoonfuls comes in: We’re experts in getting good food from where it is to where it can be enjoyed. Food donors rely on our experience and network of 250+ community partners to efficiently distribute their excess food to where it can have the greatest impact.
Our Role In The Emergency Food System
Though we’re all working to feed people, the way we operate is unique from our partners. Spoonfuls is different from…
- Food banks, because we never store food on site. Also, while food banks distribute a large percentage of shelf-stable items to local pantries and meal programs, our focus at Spoonfuls is on fresh, perishable, nutrient-dense food (i.e., produce, lean meats, dairy).
- Pantries, which distributes food directly to people who need it. Spoonfuls delivers to food programs, such as pantries.
- Meal programs, which prepare and serve meals. Our deliveries provide these programs with the ingredients they need to make meals.
