The local nonprofit Bring It Food Hub has launched a campaign to meet the needs of more Mid-South families this year through its Pay It Forward program. Bring It’s mission is “to promote community development in Memphis and the Mid-South by increasing access to healthy, affordable local foods and strengthening farmer livelihoods.” Bring It’s team works closely with more than two dozen local farms to deliver fruits, vegetables, eggs, and more through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscriptions and Pay It Forward donations.
From the press release: More than 200,000 people in Memphis don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Bring It Food Hub’s Pay It Forward program tackles this food insecurity with bags of farm-fresh produce delivered to community organizations throughout the city every week. “2014 was a great first year for us, but we want this produce to be affordable for everyone in Memphis. Some neighborhoods only have a convenience store full of chips and soda,” notes Bring It manager Alex Greene. “We want to get the fresh food local farmers are growing out into these neighborhoods.”
Last year, as Bring It piloted its Pay It Forward program, a network of community partners was established to locate families experiencing food insecurity and distribute bags of farm-fresh food to those in need. This year, the number of partnerships has doubled. Partners include The Church Health Center, Advance Memphis, YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South, and several churches and other community organizations.
To participate in Pay It Forward, consumers can add a tax-deductible Pay It Forward share to their cart when ordering personal CSA subscriptions. Stand-alone Pay It Forward subscriptions can also be purchased. For every $20 donation, Bring It Food Hub is able to supply a family in need with a week’s worth of fresh local produce through one of their community partners.
Bring It’s multi-farm produce CSA subscriptions include a weekly share of local foods from small and medium-sized Mid-South farms. Their 2015 summer season will run from May 11th through September 21st. For more information about CSA subscriptions, including pricing options, produce varieties, pickup locations, and more, click here.
To find out more about the Pay It Forward program or to donate to a family in need, visit bringitfoodhub.com.