A community food box initiative, termed the Green Box Project, has been launched at Okehampton Primary School in Devon to assist families facing high living costs. The project involves volunteers collecting surplus food from the charity FareShare South West, which is then packaged into boxes and sold to parents at a significantly reduced price—approximately £20 worth of food for just £2.50.
Organizers of the project have noted a strong demand, with around 40 boxes being sold every Thursday after school, sometimes selling out within minutes. Melissa Trudgill, the community engagement lead for Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, oversees the scheme and indicated that word has spread throughout the community, highlighting its growing popularity. The initiative aims to tackle food waste while ensuring families have access to nutritious food options.
The contents of each box may vary but typically include fresh fruits, vegetables, and various other items such as salmon fillets and soups. Josie Forsyth, deputy chief executive of FareShare South West, explained that the project seeks to transform the problem of food waste into beneficial food distribution, emphasizing that access to fresh produce can significantly impact children’s ability to thrive and perform in school.
Following its success at Okehampton, the project was also implemented at Tavistock Primary School in September 2023, with plans to expand to additional locations in the region in the future. This initiative signifies community efforts to address both economic and environmental challenges through the redistribution of surplus food resources.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr7mdn89lemo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss