Feeding Chittenden

Through our food shelf, we provide a week's supply of groceries to local families and individuals experiencing food insecurity.

Feeding Chittenden operates as the county’s largest hot meals program. We are open to the entire community, serving a hot meal every day. The Hot Meals Program offers dine in and to-go meal options inside Feeding Chittenden.

Community Kitchen Academy is a culinary job training program operated in partnership between Feeding Chittenden and the Vermont Foodbank. Students gain the professional and interpersonal skills they need to find and retain employment in the hospitality industry. Meals prepared in the program are used to fight hunger in the community.

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In order to address hunger relief for populations with mobility issues, the program’s mission is to serve senior citizens and people with disabilities. Each month, staff and volunteers deliver a five-day supply of groceries to homebound clients, providing them with food and a much welcomed visit.

Feeding Chittenden helps fight food waste and local hunger by rescuing over 1 million pounds of food every year. Food waste is a major environmental issue, and up to 40% of all food currently produced in the US is never consumed. This represents a major waste of resources as much of this excess food is sent to the landfill.

The Champlain Valley Region comprises Chittenden, Addison, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties representing 40% of the entire Vermont population. Within this region, 22,500 residents (9% of the overall population) are living in poverty according to US Census data from 2020. Even more are food insecure – USDA data from September of 2021 shows that 1 in 7 Vermonters struggle with hunger.

Our priorities:

Healthy & Culturally Relevant Foods – We want to ensure everyone has nourishing food for themselves and their families. To do this, we are working to increase choice, minimize stigma, and reduce barriers to food access.

Increased Food Access through Partnerships – We are working with other non-profit and community organizations, including healthcare & social service providers, to further our collective impact. Through these partnerships, we are building a localized and intentional food system to shrink gaps in services.

Partners include: ACORN, Vermont Foodbank, Champlain Valley Head Start, UVM Children’s Hospital, Bridges to Health, Pine Island Farm, The Family Room, USCRI-VT, Vermont Land Trust, Intervale Center, Healthy Roots, Community Health Center of Burlington, and many amazing volunteers

Reaching Underserved People – We are utilizing online ordering software, mobile markets, and increased deliveries to expand food access in Chittenden, Addison, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties. We are developing infrastructure, including warehousing and fulfillment centers, as well as internal partnerships, to ensure the long-term success of the Food Access Network.

- 81% of households had never utilized Feeding Chittenden’s services prior to using the Online Market
- 30% had never visited a food pantry before

Research, Evaluate, & Advocate – Through the data gathered, we are working to understand the impact of these services, target the root causes of hunger, evolve programming based off of feedback from peoples served, and improve long-term outcomes for marginalized Vermonters.