Melrose Food Drive Nonprofit Eyes Future Ahead Of First Fundraiser

MELROSE, MA — A Melrose nonprofit fighting hunger and food waste will host its first-ever fundraiser later this month at Melrose’s Memorial Hall, organizers recently announced.

Roughly two-years after its birth in response to hunger and food waste concerns in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Food Drive is at a crucial stage in its mission, Executive Director Jana Gimenez recently told Patch.

The organization started as a weekly effort to bring excess food from Whole Foods in Melrose to Bread of Life Inc. in Malden. It is now a larger operation with more than 150 volunteers working between close to 30 donor locations and roughly 25 food recipient sites, Gimenez said.

“We could expand continuously,” Gimenez said. “And we want to…But our primary focus right now is making sure that we have sustainable funding.”

The fundraiser event is set for Nov. 12 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. It will feature what organizers have described as “a casual evening of fall foodie fun.” There will be small plate tasting stations and desserts from just under a dozen area food establishments. The event will include autumn-inspired cocktails, live music and raffles.

The Food Drive's mission is twofold, seeking to support those struggling with food insecurity while promoting sustainability by limiting food waste.

Food Drive personnel work primarily with area commercial food establishments to divert viable food that would otherwise end up discarded as trash or compost. The nonprofit then brings food to food pantries, low-income housing facilities and other qualified destinations within 15-miles of Melrose.

Organizers said last week that they had redistributed roughly 210 tons of food to date. This month’s fundraising event will look to support continued Food Drive efforts.

“We are doing everything we can to have a future,” Gimenez said.

The lineup of tasting stations at the Food Drive’s Memorial Hall fundraising event will be as follows:

• Bobby C’s Ristorante
• Buckalew’s General Store
• Giacomo’s Melrose
• Mexico Lindo
• T’ahpas 529
• Turner’s Seafood
• Kindred Crepes
• Mei Mei Dumplings
• Sweet Spot Bakery
• Yara Chocolate
• Starbucks Melrose
• Fabian’s European Pastries

Melrose residents and Berklee College of Music professors Bruce Gertz and Giovanni Moltano will play bass and guitar respectively to provide live jazz music.

A silent auction and raffle will see winners walk away with a Star Wars movie score autographed by composer John Williams and framed by Miter Biter; tickets for an exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Animal Experience at either the Stone Zoo or the Franklin Park Zoo; and/or box seats, dinner, and a scoreboard name feature at a 2023 Red Sox game.

Eyeing upcoming fundraiser plans, Gimenez is looking to the future with the Food Drive and its goals in the Melrose area.

The Food Drive has tapped a need, she said. But even with its large base of volunteers, it has run into challenges.

The nonprofit does not have a dedicated vehicle to help transport food. As a result, volunteers are loading pickups of donations into convoys of multiple cars to take food to its destination.

Despite the need for services, the nonprofit space can also be crowded with organizations vying for funding opportunities, Gimenez said.

“It has not been easy to raise money to make sure we can keep going,” Gimenez said.

“We’re a baby nonprofit,” she continued. “To get on your feet and get started and get that funding in place takes some time – we know that.”

Tickets for the Food Drive’s fundraiser are on sale. The organization is also accepting donations from those who cannot attend the fundraiser but want to support their mission. See info on both tickets and donations here.