For All’s Mission and Purpose
Our mission is to bring people together to solve issues that affect us all. Since 1999, For All has been actively pursuing this mission by working within local communities and creating ripple effects that extends across the globe. Through our programs, we strive to provide greater access to essential resources and engage people of all ages, including youth, families, and people from diverse backgrounds. We also prioritize waste prevention and reduction to foster a sustainable and inclusive future for all
For All recovers and redistributes resources to reduce waste and uplift local communities.
For All does not operate like a traditional food bank and meal program. We are a mutual aid, community based organization that is centered around bringing people together to solve issues that affect us all. Our goal is to create and operate programs that recover and redirect resources in a holistic manner and by a standard of efficiency, quality, and equity for all beings.
Our Programs
Grocery Surplus Recovery Program
For All’s Grocery Surplus Recovery program dispatches volunteer In-Service members to recover viable food surplus from local grocery stores and retailers through regularly scheduled pickups. This includes an average of 5 day/week pickup and delivery to partner Community Fridge locations, food banks, and meal programs, as well as Community Box Delivery to partner low income housing buildings, schools in King and Snohomish counties, and distribution through local Buy Nothing Groups. This also includes operation of For All’s Saturday Really (Really) Free Market outdoor grocery giveaway every Saturday. In addition this includes Grocery Surplus Recovery pickup and delivery on all Sundays and major federal holidays to Community Fridge and Free Shelf locations and associated mobile food distributions.
We currently provide a direct, free service to 8 local grocery stores and retailers that we partner with by offering grocery surplus recovery visits with redistribution by commercial standards. We easily save our grocery retailer partners tens of thousands of dollars annually in free refuse collection by recovering viable food that was taken off the shelves within the previous 24 hours to make room for new shipments of food. In addition, diverting grocery store surplus from being shipped to landfills helps to save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars that can be allocated towards positive outcomes in society such as lowered food prices, funding for social services, and/or paying living wages.
We currently provide a direct, free service to 8 local grocery stores and retailers that we partner with by offering grocery surplus recovery visits with redistribution by commercial standards. We easily save our grocery retailer partners tens of thousands of dollars annually in free refuse collection by recovering viable food that was taken off the shelves within the previous 24 hours to make room for new shipments of food. In addition, diverting grocery store surplus from being shipped to landfills helps to save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars that can be allocated towards positive outcomes in society such as lowered food prices, funding for social services, and/or paying living wages.
Saturday Really (Really) Free Market
For All’s Saturday Really (Really) Free Market is a weekly, outdoor, pop-up grocery giveaway that occurs just outside of the Yesler Community Center near Downtown Seattle. Distribution occurs every Saturday from 8-9A, year round, rain or shine. The Really (Really) Free Market outdoor grocery giveaway model is a way for community based and grassroots organizations to distribute food surplus quickly, efficiently, and safely by picking up food from grocery stores and delivering it straight to distribution in places that are readily accessible to the public. All are welcome to participate in this program, and the resource sharing is not restricted by ID, zip code, or income verification. In addition, we have options for people to either wait in line to select each item they receive or have a customized To-Go bag made for them by an In-Service member so they can skip the line if needed.
Family Fun Days with Meals for Kids + Teens and Art in the Park
When school is out for the summer, For All operates our annual Summer Meals for Kids and Art in the Park program. Since 2012, we have offered free meals for kids and teens and fun, enrichment activities for families in open to the public areas. This program is designated for areas in which 50% or more of the school age population is enrolled in free or reduced-price lunch. Our sites advertise Family Fun Days to encourage families to participate in fun, educational activities and enjoy a free lunch for their kids and teens without focusing on the stigma that is often associated with receiving free food. Our sites historically operate in Seattle public parks including Cal Anderson Park, Denny Park, Cascade Playground and Yesler Terrace Park. These centrally located downtown and Capitol Hill parks serve an intersection of families coming from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. While these parks are in visibly affluent areas, they are bordered by low-income family housing, transitional family housing, and family based shelters. They are also readily accessible by major modes of public transit such as the light rail stations and major bus routes, making them easy to access for families coming from different areas of the city and county.
The Free Burrito Project
The Free Burrito Project is a meal preparation program in which we create an average of 600 plant-based, dietary vegan, Halal, Kosher burritos per event, wrap them in compostable paper, and share them freely with the community. For the ingredients we use vegetables that were recovered as grocery store surplus and/or make purchases of organically grown produce from places like the local Central Co-op, and we purchase locally made tortillas. Burritos are primarily shared in the Capitol Hill and Downtown areas of Seattle through street outreach in public streets and parks, to encampments, mobile food banks and Really Free Market lines, and delivery to local shelters. Burritos are also shared with teachers, students, neighbors, volunteers, and friends. With packaging that consists of compostable paper and a small piece of tape, this program serves to offer nutritional food access without the single-use plastic waste that is often seen in a traditional meal sharing. This meal program is mobile, meeting people where they are at. It utilizes culturally relevant foods, is environmentally friendly and does not draw negatively on city resources in managing public spaces and landfills.
Community Box Delivery Program
For All utilizes grocery store surplus to create what we call Community Boxes. These boxes contain a variety of hearty whole fruits and vegetables, specialty items such as vegan protein substitutes, and are topped with a variety of grains. Community Boxes are distributed for free in a number of ways including to neighbors on a volunteer’s route, through local Buy Nothing Groups, and as Mobile Food Bank sharings at low income, housing first buildings through our For All Community Events & Services Program.
For All Community Events and Services
The For All Community Events & Services program encompasses our mission in a very unique way. In 2018, another nonprofit organization needed to either donate or discard their vending equipment and routes located in low income, high need, housing first residential buildings. These buildings house high need residents who have experienced or are experiencing an intersection of mental health, domestic violence, substance abuse, homelessness, and other traumas. The vending machine routes were originally established over a decade previous via grant funds to both create opportunities for job training for formerly homeless individuals and also to offer food access for high need, vulnerable residents within their dwellings to increase resident safety. The population served may experience major safety issues in being targeted for drug sales or prostitution when accessing grocery and corner stores. Some of these people have severe psychological issues that make it difficult to interact positively with the general public or dress themselves properly to go outside. Some of these people are experiencing physical illnesses that make it difficult for them to leave their buildings to access food, especially in severe weather conditions. The vending machines are intended to help vulnerable residents be able to purchase treats for themselves in the safety and comfort of their homes.
When For All accepted the donation of the vending machine business, we did so knowing that if we were not operating these machines in these buildings, a for profit company would take that place. We also knew that a nonprofit organization would be better suited to interact compassionately with the vulnerable residential populations at these sites. Though this opportunity was highly unexpected, we regard it as a gift and use funds generated from the vending machines to support our free food programs. We operate the business in a way that reduces resource inefficiencies and operational waste wherever possible. We were able to plan out routes throughout the city to maximize fuel efficiency. Along with vending products, we deliver free Community Food Boxes and set them up as a mobile food bank to increase nutritious food access to residents. We eliminated the purchase of plastic six pack rings, plastic drink bottles, and processed meats. We use 100% aluminum cans for drink purchases as aluminum is a highly recyclable material. We collect plastic shrink wrap and take it to local grocery stores to recycle. We offer healthier, more balanced snack choices such as nuts and protein bars, and drink choices such as sparkling waters, juices, and caffeine free options at below market rates to incentivize purchase of higher nutrition items. All revenue after cost is invested in sustaining our nonprofit free community food and enrichment programs listed above.
When For All accepted the donation of the vending machine business, we did so knowing that if we were not operating these machines in these buildings, a for profit company would take that place. We also knew that a nonprofit organization would be better suited to interact compassionately with the vulnerable residential populations at these sites. Though this opportunity was highly unexpected, we regard it as a gift and use funds generated from the vending machines to support our free food programs. We operate the business in a way that reduces resource inefficiencies and operational waste wherever possible. We were able to plan out routes throughout the city to maximize fuel efficiency. Along with vending products, we deliver free Community Food Boxes and set them up as a mobile food bank to increase nutritious food access to residents. We eliminated the purchase of plastic six pack rings, plastic drink bottles, and processed meats. We use 100% aluminum cans for drink purchases as aluminum is a highly recyclable material. We collect plastic shrink wrap and take it to local grocery stores to recycle. We offer healthier, more balanced snack choices such as nuts and protein bars, and drink choices such as sparkling waters, juices, and caffeine free options at below market rates to incentivize purchase of higher nutrition items. All revenue after cost is invested in sustaining our nonprofit free community food and enrichment programs listed above.
For All relies on community members whose values align with our mission to show support through investment in our organization. A monthly financial pledge of support to For All helps to offset your carbon footprint and contributes to covering costs to operate community programs including vehicle maintenance, insurance, facility rental, In Service volunteer management and facilitating community service opportunities.
THE DETAILS
Food Recovery and Distribution Process
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Step 1: Reclamation
Partner with food retailers to recover edible food that would otherwise be thrown away to keep viable resources out of landfills. |
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Step 2: Team Assembly
Collaborate with volunteers to sort and assemble reclaimed food into healthy meals, burritos, and groceries for our programs. |
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Step 3: Follow Through
Deliver food and share resources with kids, families, and adults throughout our community. |
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