This event is a fundraiser for our groups. All money will be split between FGS and FNB to use for our ongoing efforts to feed our community!

For prospective chefs:

Wanna try your hand at creating Gainesville’s Best Ever Chili? All competitors will receive a prize!

If you’re interested in any of these things, submit a response to the form below by end of day February 27! We’ll let you know whether we picked you for the competition by March 2.

For tasters:

Our chili cook-off is free to attend! Both FGS and FNB will have info booths set up, where you can learn more about each group and see how to get involved. Plus, we’ll have merch for sale too and plenty of free community resources, too.

To try the chili, we’ll have sampling tickets available for purchase at the door on a sliding scale. No one will be turned away for lack of funds!

Suggested ticket prices are:

• 1 ticket: $2 
• 3 tickets: ($3-$6 donation)
• 6 tickets: ($7 – $10 donation)
• 9 tickets: ($11+ donation)
• $20: Unlimited Bean Sample Pack – try unlimited amounts of chili!

Volunteers

We need help staffing this event! Set-up begins at 11AM. We’ll need people to set up tables and supplies for our competitors. During the event, we need people to sit at the door to sell sampling tickets and to assist our competitors in accepting tickets and serving chili. Sign up to volunteer below:

March 8 Volunteer

About Us

Free Grocery Store is a free food pantry that runs a monthly in-person and delivery food pantry. We’ve been distributing food since 2020! We are an all volunteer-run operation, and rely on our community to make our pantries possible. Food is a human right, and we believe our community should have access to fresh, delicious food all the time. 

Get Involved

Want to help us continue providing free food to our community? Volunteer with us! Help us run our food pantries, translate our media into different languages, find different food sources, and whatever else you might be interested in! Visit GNVFGS.Carrd.co to fill out our volunteer form or email us at info@gnvfgs.org to introduce yourself.  

Food Pantry Updates

In-Person Pantry

The easiest way to get food is to go to our in-person pantry on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Civic Media Center (433. S. Main St). Sign-up starts at 2 p.m. Pantry opens at 3:30 p.m. You can choose your own food according to your needs. At times we may have limits due to supply. No ID, proof-of-need, or appointment required. 

Upcoming pantry dates:

• March 11
• April 8
• May 13

Delivery Pantry

We deliver food monthly to households who can’t get to our in-person pantry due to disability or lack of transportation. Beginning in 2025, Free Grocery Store will offer a multiple-month grocery delivery service, rather than a monthly sign up. Our first delivery season will run from March-May, meaning people will receive a delivery in March, April and May. Our next sign-up period will tentatively begin in June. This date may change due to the unpredictable nature of weather in Florida. 

Please support other groups beyond Free Grocery Store that are providing free resources for our community!

• Food Not Bombs: Serving tasty free vegan meals Fridays at 6:30 pm downtown. For a world without hunger, homelessness or cops. Follow on Instagram: @GainesvilleFoodNotBombs
• Free Store: Created with those most marginalized in mind, but all are welcome. Once a month (3rd Saturday of every month), hosting a “pop-up” store where everything is free at the Civic Media Center. Follow on Instagram: @GNV_FreeStore
• Books to Prisoners: Serving all incarcerated folks in FL. Packing books 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 6-7:30pm at the Civic Media Center. Follow on Instagram: @GNVBooks2Prisoners

Free Fruit Edición 4

Primavera 2025

Sobre Nosotros

Free Grocery Store es una despensa de alimentos que organiza una despensa mensual de recursos en persona y una despensa personal de comida a su casa. ¡Nosotros hemos repartido comida desde el 2020! Somos una organización totalmente coordinada por voluntarios, y dependemos de nuestra comunidad para que nuestras distribuciones de alimentos sean posibles. La comida es un derecho humano e imprescindible, y nosotros creemos que nuestra comunidad debe tener acceso a comida fresca y deliciosa a cualquier momento.

Involucrese

¿Quiere ayudarnos a proveer alimentos gratis a nuestra comunidad? ¡Registrese como voluntario! Ayúdanos a organizar nuestras despensas de alimentos, a traducir nuestra información a otro lenguaje, a encontrar recursos de provisiones, y cualquier cosa que les interese. ¡Accede a la página web GNVFGS.Carrd.co para llenar nuestra forma voluntaria o envíanos un correo en el sitio info@gnvfgs.org!

Noticias Sobre la Despensa de Alimentos

Despensa Mensual en Persona

La manera más fácil de recoger comida es a través de nuestra despensa en persona el segundo martes de cada mes en el Civic Media Center (situado en 433 S. Main St). La registración empieza a las 2 p.m. La despensa oficialmente abre a las 3:30 p.m. Puede elegir su comida de acuerdo con sus necesidades. En algunas ocasiones tenemos límites de comida debido a falta de provisiones. Ningún tipo de identificación, ni prueba de necesidad, ni sita es requerida.

Próximas fechas de despensa:

• 11 de marzo
• 8 de abril
• 13 de mayo

Despensa Personal en Casa

Nosotros entregamos comida mensualmente a familias que no tienen acceso a nuestros recursos en persona debido a discapacidad o falta de transportación. Empezando en el 2025, Free Grocery Store estará ofreciendo un servicio de entrega de alimentos a través de varios meses, en lugar de una registración mensual. Nuestra primera época de entregas sería de marzo a mayo, lo cual significa que recibirán una entrega en marzo, abril, y mayo. La próxima época de entregas empezará tentativamente en junio. Esta fecha tiene posibilidad de cambiar debido al clima imprevisible de la Florida.

¡Por favor, apoya a otros grupos similares a Free Grocery Store que proveen recursos gratis para nuestra comunidad!

• Food Not Bombs: Ofrecen comida vegana gratis los viernes a las 6:30 p.m. en el downtown. Serving tasty free vegan meals Fridays at 6:30 pm downtown. Para un mundo sin hambre, falta de vivienda, o vigilancia policial. Siguelos en Instagram: @GainesvilleFoodNotBombs
• Free Store: Creado tomando a los más marginalizados en cuenta, pero todos son bienvenidos. Una vez al mes (el tercer sábado de cada mes) organizan una tienda “pop-up” donde todo es gratis en el Civic Media Center. Siguelos en Instagram: @GNV_FreeStore
• Books to Prisoners: Atendiendo a todos los encarcelados en Florida. Empaquetando libros el primer y tercer martes de cada mes, de las 6 hasta las 7:30 p.m. en el Civic Media Center. Siguelos en Instagram: @GNVBooks2Prisoners

Free Grocery Store is having our third annual chili cook-off fundraiser, on Sunday, December 15, from 2-5 pm, at Serpentine Plants + Provisions!

Event Info

The Royal Bean Royale is free to attend! Come learn about Free Grocery Store and meet our community. To try the chili, we’ll have sampling tickets available for purchase at the door. Suggested donation prices range $2-20! We’ll also have custom FGS merchandise for sale.

Proceeds go directly to running our monthly pantry and delivery service.

Accessibility info

• This is an outdoor event.
• Chefs and volunteers will be wearing masks and gloves during the event.
• More access info coming soon!

For prospective chefs:

Wanna try your hand at creating Gainesville’s Best Ever Chili? Wanna be crowned the Royal Bean ? Or do you just want that gift basket to local businesses around town?

If you’re interested in any of these things, submit a form below by end of day December 7! We’ll let you know whether we picked you for the competition by Dec. 8

Any questions? Email us at info@gnvfgs.org.

Image description: Hand-drawn pot of chili and various ingredients strewn across the poster. In the pot of chili is the free grocery store logo and some swirls indicating movement. At the top left is a bulb of garlic and a red onion. There is a red bell pepper in the bottom right corner. Red kidney beans are dancing across the poster. The background is a medium blue.

Try out a dozen sweet treats from your favorite local baking aficionados! Vote on your favorite sweet to crown the best baker the Sweetest Treat.

How to compete in the bake off

Want to compete? We’re seeking any local baker in the community from any skill level to bring their favorite baked good (think cookies, pie, cake, sweet bread, etc.!) to share with our community!

Read our competition guidelines and rules below, and submit an interest form to compete. Form closes on May 19; Single entry or teams welcome, there is a team maximum of 3 people.

Any questions? Email us at info@gnvfgs.org.

More Info

The Sweet Stakes Bake Off is free to attend! Come learn about Free Grocery Store and meet our community.

To try the baked goods, we’ll have sampling tickets available for purchase. We’ll have vegan options as well! Suggested donation prices include $2 for 1 ticket, $10 for 6 tickets, and $20 for our Ultimate Baked Pack (unlimited sweet treats oooh). No one will be turned away for lack of funds!

Thirsty from all the yummy baked goods you’re munching on? Grab an iced coffee or tea, made by our organizers!

We’ll also have custom FGS merchandise for sale, including clothes and prints.

Accessibility Info

• All bakers and volunteers will be wearing masks and gloves during this event. Event organizers will provide masks to anyone who does not have their own.
• This is an outdoor event in the Civic Media Center courtyard. The courtyard is cobblestone/brick.
• Masks required inside the CMC.
• There is a wheelchair accessible bathroom inside the CMC. The bathroom is single stall and gender neutral, and has a handrail for the toilet.
• There are no stairs or steps to enter the main space.
• The CMC is wheelchair accessible. The front door is 27” wide, the door to the courtyard is 36”, the back door into the CMC is 33”, and the bathroom door is 34”.
• There will be tables and chairs set up outside for people to sit down anytime during the event.

Try out a dozen chili recipes cooked by chefs from our community! Vote on the best chili to crown the best cook the Royal Bean .

For tasters:

The Royal Bean Royale is free to attend! Come learn about Free Grocery Store and meet our community.

To try the chili, we’ll have sampling tickets available for purchase at the door. Suggested donation prices include $2 for 1 ticket, $10 for 6 tickets, and $20 for 12 tickets. We’ll also have custom FGS merchandise for sale, including handmade tote bags and prints.

Proceeds go directly to running our pantry and delivery service. $150 pays for one delivery day and 200 people served.

Chefs and volunteers will be wearing masks and gloves during this event.

For prospective chefs:

Wanna try your hand at creating Gainesville’s Best Ever Chili? Wanna be crowned the Royal Bean ? Or do you just want that gift basket to local businesses around town?

If you’re interested in any of these things, submit a form below by end of day August 18th! We’ll let you know whether we picked you for the competition by August 20th.

Any questions? Email us at info@gnvfgs.org, or call and text us at (352) 388-1568.

A guest post by Rebekah Browne, University of Florida ’24, avid Free Grocery Store organizer and delivery driver.

Access to healthy food is a human right (FAO, n.d.) that is regularly violated (Montes, et al., 2019). Every meal, marginalized peoples face barriers – physical, financial, and sociocultural – to maintaining a diet they consider healthful. In the US and through domestic and global disruptions, Black and Hispanic communities have suffered disproportionate rates of food insecurity (John Hopkins University, 2021).

One barrier to accessing healthy food is spatial: our food environments. Neighborhoods, towns, and regions have stark differences in the food access options available within them. Food environments differ in two ways: spatial and financial accessibility, and quality of the food sold. We call areas with low spatial access to any food “food deserts”. We call areas with high access to poor quality food “food swamps”.

Not everyone is equally likely to live in a food desert or food swamp. They stand in stark contrast to the healthy food environments available to mostly white and privileged residents. Food deserts in Gainesville and their issues have been previously identified in a 2021 city report (Allen, 2022), but food swamps have not received the same attention.

Today we ask: where are these food swamps? And who must live in them?

Where are Gainesville’s food swamps?

To map food swamps, we first located food stores throughout Gainesville that accept SNAP (Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program, “Food Stamp”) benefits. These stores represent Gainesville’s (in theory) financially accessible food resources. Then, we classified the “healthy” food sources as stores which provide fresh produce (Figure 1).

The straight-line distance from a house to a store does not wholly describe a store’s physical accessibility; the road network must be considered for practical accuracy. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses the one-mile straight-line distance between a house and a healthy food source to define food deserts (Berthomieux, 2017). Here, I conducted network analyses to draw food swamps. We define food swamps as areas at most one mile away by road from an unhealthy food source but over one mile away from a healthy food supplier (Figure 2).

To align the analysis with the association and relationship food swamps have with housing, we limited food swamps to residentially zoned parcels within Gainesville city limits, totaling 4.4 square miles of the original 15 square miles (Figure 3).

The food swamps mostly fall on the city’s edge, with the central food swamp resting north of UF campus, roughly in the Hibiscus Park, Palm Terrace, and University Park neighborhoods. To the north, a food swamp covered the Capri, Rainbows East, Springtree, Rainbow’s End, and Hazel Heights neighborhoods. In the southeast, a food swamp covered the Duval, North Lincoln Heights, Northeast Neighbors, Springhill, and Southeast Evergreen Trails neighborhoods (Figure 4). The Kirkwood and Phoenix neighborhoods are included in the two southernmost food swamps, and Highland Court Manor and Ironwood in the northeastern one.

Who lives in Gainesville’s food swamps?

To show the population makeup of Gainesville’s food swamps, we used block group-level demographic data from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2021 results (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). 

Stores that accepted SNAP, here representing affordable food stores,  were used to map the food swamps, although most households across the food swamps were reported not to be receiving SNAP benefits from 2020-2021 (Figure 5).

Even before looking at food swamps, Gainesville’s racial distribution is highly spatialized. The town’s Black population, 22% of the total population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021a), live in neighborhoods in East Gainesville (Figure 6).

In contrast, Gainesville’s White population, 55% of the total population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021a), is significantly underrepresented on the Eastside. The Northeast Neighbors neighborhood of the southeastern food swamp is an exception; interestingly enough, the neighborhood houses a higher number of households receiving nutritional assistance than the rest of the Eastside food swamp (Figure 7). 

In East Gainesville, there is an immense overlap between Black communities and food swamps. 60% of people living in Gainesville’s food swamps are Black, while only 25% are White. Housing discrimination has historically restricted the investments made into Black communities (Butler, 2021); over time, structural discrimination established a correlation between racial and economic disparities (Inequality, n.d.). 

The ACS measures economic status with the income to poverty level ratio, which compares a household’s annual income to an area’s specific poverty threshold that varies among homeowners and renters. Gainesville’s 2021 poverty thresholds were: $30,406 for homeowners with a mortgage; $25,823 for homeowners without a mortgage; and $30,734 for renters (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021b). 

The northwestern food swamp is expansive despite its location around a White-majority sector of town. The south and southwestern food swamps did not drastically differ in the densities of Black and White populations, but are consistently 50% below the poverty line (Figure 8) to 25% above it (Figure 9). The southeastern food swamp also has a cluster of low-income communities.

What do we do about food swamps?

Gainesville’s marginalized communities face disproportionate rates of food insecurity. Although food swamps are dispersed across Gainesville, the largest ones were found to be neighborhoods of Black and low-income households. One contributor to this pattern is the lack of produce providers in East Gainesville compared to stores which do not provide fresh produce (Figure 1, above).

Imagine instead, these stores as points of access to healthy foods and fresh produce. The Food Trust’s Healthy Corner Store Initiative provides resources and training for store owners to profit from selling whole, unprocessed food options (The Food Trust, n.d.). Healthy Corner Stores have been associated with a decrease in the BMI of customers and an increase in healthier food intentions and cooking methods (Berthomieux, 2017).

Through a Healthy Corner Store Initiative, the concentration of gas stations and convenience stores around Eastside communities can be an opportunity to “ensure access to affordable, healthy, and culturally appropriate food to all residents” (Imagine GNV, 2021), a desired outcome in Gainesville’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan. In the plan, developing a healthy corner store program is listed as a strategy to eliminate food deserts. 

While food swamps have less notoriety than food deserts, they present unique challenges and deserve specific interventions. They have a unique role in our food environments and show us the need for a healthy standard for accessible and affordable food options. Through healthy corner stores, choosing nutritional food becomes easier and not an inconvenience to the residents of Gainesville’s food swamps.

References

Allen, C. (May 23, 2022). “‘We’re the forgotten side of town’: Food deserts in East Gainesville.” The Alligator. www.alligator.org/article/2022/05/were-the-forgotten-side-of-town-food- deserts-in-east-gainesville.  

Berthomieux, V. (2017). “Determining the need and feasibility of a healthy corner store intervention in Gainesville, FL.” https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UFE0051147/00001/pdf. 

Butler, S. (June 22, 2021). “History of redlining helps explain present-day injustices in the housing market.” The Gainesville Sun. www.gainesville.com/story/opinion/2021/06/22/ sophia-butler-redlining-helps-explain-present-day-injustices-housing/7714985002. 

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (n.d.). “The right to food.” www.fao.org/right-to-food/background/en. 

Gainesville Neighborhood Voices. (2008). “Neighborhoods.” www.gainesvilleneighborhoodsunited.org/neighborhoods. 

Imagine GNV. (2021). “Our health and well being.” https://imaginegnv.konveio.com/ our-health-and-well-being?document=1. 

Inequality.org. “Racial economic inequality.” https://inequality.org/facts/racial-inequality. 

John Hopkins University. (Feb. 26, 2021). “Nearly half of Black and Hispanic people in the U.S. face food insecurity, new study finds.” Bloomberg School of Public Health. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/nearly-half-of-black-and-hispanic-people-in-the-us-face-food-insecurity-new-study-finds. 

Montes, D. C., Crawford, K., Dawson, L., and Herrera, R. (June 19, 2019). “Violations of the human right to food during Covid-19 in the United States.” University of Miami School of Law Human Rights Clinic. www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/SexualOrientation/ IESOGI-COVID-19/academics/Miami-Law.pdf. 

The Food Trust. (n.d.). “Healthy Corner Store Initiative.” https://thefoodtrust.org/ what-we-do/corner-stores. 

U.S. Census Bureau. (2021a). American Community Survey 1-year estimates. Retrieved from Census Reporter Profile page for Gainesville, FL https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US1225175-gainesville-fl. 

U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). “Glossary.” www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ geography/about/glossary.html 

U.S. Census Bureau. (2021b). “Poverty Thresholds: 2021.” www.census.gov/data/tables/2021/ demo/supplemental-poverty-measure/poverty-thresholds.html.

We cordially invite you to the F G S F L E A! Come support local artists, bring and/or eat some dope food, and learn about FGS’ work in addressing food insecurity.

Saturday, January 28th from 2-5 pm

Civic Media Center Courtyard

What can you expect at the FGS Flea?

• Local artists vending alongside our volunteers, from prints to plants, pants and more! So far, we’ve invited: @creacionesdemarycruz, @fabricsnax, @asterionarts, @neitherandb0th, @goldiemoretti, @amacreadesignss, and Reverie!
• As always, FREE food. We invite anyone to bring a dish to contribute to our community potluck table!
• A place to learn more about FGS’ work, from our delivery service, to our pantry, our garden, and ways we’re growing!
• We’ll also be vending some awesome merch to support our efforts!

Interested in vending your wares at the Flea? Email us at mailto:info@gnvfgs.org before January 25th to confirm! We are no longer accepting vendors! Thank you everyone for showing your support.

¡La edición otoño del Free Fruit, nuestra publicación!

Horario de vacaciones

Free Grocery Store se tomará vacaciones del 17 de diciembre al 9 de enero. Reanudaremos nuestra despensa semanal en persona  el martes 10 de enero. 

Las entregas se reanudarán según este horario:

• 10 de enero – clientes al oeste de 34th St y SW 23rd Ter
• 17 de enero – clientes al este de 34th St y SW 23rd Ter

Reconfirmación

Clientes de entrega: el último día para confirmar que necesita entregas es el 16 de diciembre. Si ya ha confirmado ¡gracias! Si no confirma antes de esta fecha, el servicio se interrumpirá y tendrá que volver a unirse a nuestra lista de espera.

Solo llamarnos o enviarnos un email no completará la confirmación. Necesitaremos información adicional para proceder.

Animamos a cada cliente que recibe entregas, que tiene carro y no tiene discapacidades a visitar nuestra despensa en persona. Aquí se puede recoger su propia comida, liberando capacidad para entregas a clientes confinados en casa o sin transporte. 

¡GNVFGS.ORG está en vivo!

Si no lo sabe, ¡tenemos un nuevo y brillante sitio web! Aquí encontrará más información sobre cómo ayudarnos y un calendario para los horarios de entregas, los descansos, y distribuciones de “senior boxes”

¡Accédelo a gnvfgs.org!

Ayuda después del huracán Ian

Aunque el huracán Ian sólo rozó Gainesville, dejó daños devastadores a su paso por la península. Organizamos una colecta de suministros para los compañeros de Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, Central Florida Mutual Aid y We Rise 4 Wellness para hacer ayuda alimentaria en el suroeste de Florida, Orlando y Arcadia. En total donamos 1,5 toneladas de alimentos, agua y suministros. Gracias a Gainesville por apoyar a nuestros amigos del sur. Vea más de nuestros esfuerzos en nuestro Instagram: @gnvfgs

Reiniciando las despensas móviles

A principios de este año, pusimos a prueba con éxito la distribución de despensas móviles en Holly Heights. En el futuro, esperamos asociarnos con los residentes para que nos ayuden a gestionar las despensas móviles del barrio. Si usted vive en los siguientes vecindarios y quiere ayudar a dirigir una distribución, por favor comuníquese con nosotros.

Holly Heights, Tower Oaks, Tower Oaks Glenn, Kanapaha, Arredondo, Phoenix

En nuestro jardín

Coles 

Rábanos 

Col rizada

Zanahorias

Guisantes de nieve 

Judías verdes

Fresas

Orégano

Hojas de mostaza

Col de Bruselas

Cómo ayudarnos

¿Le importa que los alimentos nutritivos sean gratuitos y abundantes para todos? Aquí hay maneras de ayudar a Free Grocery Store:

• Procesar los alimentos y empacar los pedidos de entrega en el Civic Media Center todos los martes.
• Entregar los pedidos para nuestros clientes confinados en casa o con problemas de transporte todos los martes. Toma alrededor de una hora y media.
• Ayudar en nuestro jardín todos los domingos a las 9 am, en el Jardín Comunitario McRorie.
• ¿Tiene un proyecto especial que quiere hacer? ¿Quiere ayudar a facilitar uno de nuestros pack-outs? Póngase en contacto con nosotros directamente para convertirse en organizador.

Para obtener más información, visite nuestro sitio web en gnvfgs.org/volunteer.

Suministros de reducción de daños disponibles

Nos hemos asociado con Out of Harm’s Reach para proporcionar acceso gratuito a los recursos de reducción de daños, kits de pruebas de VIH, preservativos, Narcan para contrarrestar las sobredosis, suministros para inyecciones limpias y más. Para obtener más información sobre cómo conseguir estos suministros, póngase en contacto con nosotros o con Out of Harm’s Reach.

Otros recursos disponibles

Aquí hay una lista de organizaciones en las que confiamos para proporcionar alimentos, vivienda y otros servicios sociales.

• Civic Media Center – espacio para eventos, biblioteca con temática de literatura radical, alberga nuestros servicios en persona. 433 S Main St. (352) 373-0010
• Out of Harm’s Reach – cursos y servicios de reducción de daños. (352) 559-9948
• SouthWest Advocacy Group (SWAG) – centro de servicios único para conectar a los residentes con más servicios; cuidado de niños. Sirve a Holly Heights, Linton Oaks, Tower Oaks, y más áreas alrededor. 807 SW 64th Ter. (352) 505-6823
• Bread of the Mighty – información para despensas y distribuciones móviles de otras agencias en su área. No provee comida a individuos. (352) 336-0839
• GRACE Marketplace – maneja programas para personas que experimentan inestabilidad de vivienda, incluyendo refugio y reubicación. 3055 NE 28th Dr. 352-792-0800
• Torchlighters Re-Entry Support Group – apoyo de pares para personas que salen de la cárcel o prisión, incluyendo la provisión de recursos y la certificación de negocios que no discriminan a personas con antecedentes. Un proyecto de Community Spring. (352) 559-4505

The Fall 2022 edition of the Free Fruit!

Holiday Break Schedule

Free Grocery Store will be taking Dec. 17 – Jan. 9 off for our holiday break. We’ll resume service on Tuesday, Jan. 10 for our weekly in-person pantry . Deliveries will resume by the following schedule:

• Jan. 10 – Clients west of 34th St & SW 23rd Ter
• Jan. 17 – Clients east of 34th St & SW 23rd Ter

Reconfirmation

Delivery clients: your last day to confirm that you still need deliveries is Dec. 16. If you’ve already confirmed, thank you! If you don’t confirm by this date, service will be stopped and you will have to rejoin our waitlist.

Calling or emailing us alone will not complete the confirmation. We will need additional information from you to proceed.

We encourage all delivery clients who are mobile to switch to using our in-person pantry. This allows you to pick your own food and frees up capacity to deliver to homebound clients and clients without transportation. 

Rebuilding Mobile Pantries

Earlier this year, we successfully piloted mobile pantry distributions in Holly Heights. Moving forward, we hope to partner with residents to help us manage neighborhood mobile pantries. If you live in the following neighborhoods and want to help lead a distribution, please reach out to us!

• Holly Heights
• Tower Oaks
• Tower Oaks Glenn
• Kanapaha
• Arredondo
• Phoenix

Getting Involved

Do you care about making nutritious food free and abundant for everyone? Here are ways to get involved with Free Grocery Store:

• Sort food and pack delivery orders at the Civic Media Center every Tuesday!
• Deliver orders for our homebound or transportation-limited clients every Tuesday! Takes about an hour and a half.
• Help out at our garden every Sunday at 9 am, at McRorie Community Garden.
• Have a special project you wanna do? Want to help facilitate one of our pack-outs? Contact us directly to become an organizer.

For more information, visit our volunteer page.

Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief

Although Hurricane Ian only grazed Gainesville, it left devastating damage in its path through the peninsula. We organized a supply drive for comrades in Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, Central Florida Mutual Aid, and We Rise 4 Wellness to do food relief in Southwest Florida, Orlando, and Arcadia! In total we donated 1.5 tons of food, water, and supplies. Thanks to Gainesville for showing up to support our friends further south! See more of our efforts on our Instagram @admin

GNVFGS.org is Live!

If you haven’t visited yet, we have a shiny new website! Here you’ll find further information on how to get involved as well as a calendar for client delivery schedules, breaks, commodity senior box distribution, and volunteer opportunities. 

Access it at gnvfgs.org (but you’re already on it!)

Harm Reduction Supplies Available

We are partnering with Out of Harm’s Reach to provide free access to harm reduction resources, HIV test kits, condoms, Narcan to counteract overdoses, clean injection supplies, and more. For more information on how to get these supplies, contact us or Out of Harm’s Reach.

Other Resources Available

Here’s a list of organizations we trust in providing food, housing, and other social services!

• Civic Media Center – event space, book library themed around radical literature, hosts our in-person services. 433 S Main St. (352) 373-0010
• Out of Harm’s Reach – harm reduction trainings and services. (352) 559-9948
• SouthWest Advocacy Group (SWAG) – one-stop service center to connect residents to more services; child care. Serves Holly Heights, Linton Oaks, Tower Oaks, and more areas surrounding. 807 SW 64th Ter. (352) 505-6823
• Bread of the Mighty – info for pantries and mobile distributions from other agencies in your area. Does not provide food to individuals. (352) 336-0839
• GRACE Marketplace – manages programs for people experiencing housing instability, including shelter and rehousing. 3055 NE 28th Dr. 352-792-0800
• Torchlighters Re-Entry Support Group – peer support for people leaving jail or prison, including providing resources and certifying businesses that don’t discriminate against people with records. A project of Community Spring. (352) 559-4505

What’s Growing at the Garden?

We have:

• Collards!
• Strawberries!
• Snow peas!
• Oregano!
• Mustard Greens!
• Radishes!
• Carrots!
• Brussels Sprouts!
• Velvet Beans!
• Kale!

Sautéed Veggies and Side Salad

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• nasturtium flowers or leaves
• 1/4 c of olive oil or sesame oil
• chopped bunches of collards & mustard greens
• chopped sauté mix: radishes, peas, carrots & kale
• 1/3 c of soy sauce
• seasoning ideas: oregano, rosemary, black pepper, & your favorite mix!

Directions

1. Heat pan to a low medium and add oil & minced garlic.
2. Add chopped sauté mix and add dried seasonings
3. Get side salad going with the chopped greens, olive oil, soy sauce, & seasonings!
4. Turn off heat & garnish both dishes with the flowers & leaves of nasturtium, fresh rosemary, or oregano from our garden!

¡La primera edición de nuestra publicación The Free Fruit! Primeramente publicada en el verano de 2022, The Free Fruit informe a l@s clientes, l@s voluntari@s y más de cambios y eventos con Free Grocery Store.

Lea abajo para la misma información en forma de texto.

¡Vamos a tomar un descanso!

Free Grocery Store va a tomar un descanso del 3 al 16 de julio para relajar y disfrutar. El servicio de entrega, despensa en persona, y lista de espera no estarán disponibles durante el descanso.

Vamos a entregar como siempre el 21 y 28 de junio. Después del descanso, las entregas se reanudarán según este horario:

• Área A: 19 de julio y cada dos semanas
• Área B: 26 de julio y cada dos semanas

¡Contáctenos si tiene preguntas!

Quiénes somos

Quizás nos conozca como su entrega de comida regular. Queremos introducirnos formalmente y decirle nuestras motivaciones para FGS y nuestra misión.

Somos una operación de ayuda mutua voluntaria de dos años. Aspiramos poner fin a la inseguridad alimentaria en Gainesville. Servimos casi 200 casas.

Luchamos contra un sistema que prioriza lucros sobre la salud y bien-estar. Creemos que la comida es bella y debe ser accesible, relevante y saludable.

Queremos construir un sistema alimentario poseído y controlado por su comunidad. Destruimos las barreras a acceder la comida que merecemos.

Acontecimientos

Aquí verá oportunidades para conocernos más y colaborar con nosotros:

El jardín

Es posible que recibiera verduras cultivadas en nuestro jardín comunitario. Si le interesa aprender cómo cultivar su propia comida, cada domingo nos reunimos al Jardín Comunitario McRorie para planificar, sembrar, y cosechar. No se necesita saber cómo cultivar plantas.

615 SE 4th Ave, 9 am.

El retiro

Nos reuniremos el 16 de julio para planificar nuestro futuro y nuevos proyectos, y entender feedback de voluntarios y recipientes. Habrá más información de pronto.

Despensa móviles

Estamos empezando distribuciones en Gainesville donde operamos despensas en vecindarios. Le enviaremos más info si la siguiente despensa está cerca de Ud.

Contáctenos

(352) 288-1568

fgsgnv@gmail.com

@gnvfgs en Instagram