As I drove down the dusty dirt road outside of Enosburg, Vermont, I glanced to the back of my car and at the eight or so boxes and bags carefully arranged, containing various food and household items, from fresh vegetables to canned beans and loaves of bread. I had just finished dropping off two food boxes with the first person on my route and had four more stops. I was currently delivering food boxes for Pantry Soft, an online food ordering program developed by Feeding Chittenden, a non-profit organization based in Burlington, VT that provides support to those facing hunger and food insecurity. Pantry Soft allows participants to select the specific food items they want, thus allowing for increased food sovereignty and decision-making regarding the food one desires. The food is delivered to program participants’ doors every two weeks by Feeding Chittenden and Huertas volunteers. Healthy Roots Collaborative, a regional food systems program, provides fresh fruits and vegetables during the warmer months of the year.
The above image displays Huertas intern Hannah Ellis’s car packed with Pantry Soft food boxes and bags before heading out to deliver them (Image source: Hannah Ellis).
This past summer of 2023, I was able to partake in several Pantry Soft delivery drop-off routes, as well as conduct an evaluation of Pantry Soft. As a part of the evaluation, I and fellow Huertas Project intern Hannah Ellis met with twelve current Pantry Soft recipients to hear about their opinions of the program, what they appreciate about the program, and think could be better. As was confirmed through the interviews, Pantry Soft is a crucial element of Vermont’s food system programs, helping to provide food, as well as household items such as diapers to those who might not be able to easily obtain these items otherwise, and current program participants praised the economic support the program provides, the fresh fruits and veggies, as well as other benefits. To read the entire evaluation and learn more about what program participants think of Pantry Soft as well as potential future changes, visit the link below: