Lynnfield Resident Helps to Feed Thousands

Katherine Hoffman, a 21-year-old Lynnfield, Mass., resident, is a jack-of-all-trades volunteer for local food rescue organization Food For Free.

The recent graduate from UMass Amherst, with a degree in public nutrition, has been donating her time at Food For Free since May, learning the ins and outs of what it takes to run a nonprofit organization.

Since 1981, Cambridge based Food For Free, has responded to local hunger by rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste, and distributing it to local emergency food programs including food pantries, youth programs, shelters, and more.

As one of the nation’s first food rescue programs, Food For Free feeds more than 25,000 families annually in Greater Boston and beyond. Through a combination of food rescue, farming, and transportation programs, the organization’s year-round services give people access to fresh fruits and vegetables, which are typically lacking from the diets of low-income individuals and families.

This mission is one that’s important Hoffman, who was raised in a family where cooking together was a part of the culture, including eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. When Hoffman’s mother passed away from cancer during her junior year of high school, the family bonded during the time they spent together in the kitchen and around the dinner table enjoying the finished product.

“When I learned that people living in cities don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, it struck me,” says Hoffman. “It’s something that could so easily be changed with a little bit of effort, that’s why Food For Free’s work is so important.”

Each day for Hoffman is different, who on average logs in 18 to 20 hours a week. She can often be found riding the trucks and picking up rescued food from Whole Foods and Trader Joes. On Wednesday mornings, she’s knee deep in soil, planting, weeding, and harvesting fresh vegetables at “Field of Greens,” Food For Free’s own farm which reaps about 5,000 pounds of fresh produce each year, and delivers the fruits of its labor to emergency food programs.

In the evenings, she’s touring Farmer’s Markets, collecting excess produce and on Friday’s, she’s in the office helping on the operation’s side, managing the database, and assisting with keeping the organization running smoothly.

“It’s a great experience to be a part of every facet of the organization,” says Hoffman. “If I had to choose which jobs I like best, I’d have to say spending my Wednesdays on the farm and Fridays in the office. They are completely different tasks, getting dirty on the farm and feeling that sweat equity, versus, learning the business side of things, and really soaking up the knowledge and know-how from the management team. I couldn’t ask for a better experience to learn and grow before I head to graduate school.”

Hoffman hopes to continue her education and get a Master’s in Public Health after soaking up more real-world experience at the nonprofit. Her goal: to help change the food system in America, and make it easier for families and individuals to have access to healthy fresh foods.

Please let me know when I can put you in touch with your local resident Katherine Hoffman, who could tell you more about her crucial role at a local organization that works to feed thousands of people in the Commonwealth.