Community

Gainesville’s volunteer-run Free Grocery Store reflects on six years of mutual aid

The Free Grocery Store, a volunteer-operated mutual aid project launched in 2020 out of the Civic Media Center, has provided free food to hundreds of Gainesville residents weekly by coordinating donations, sorting, and distribution with help from local organizations including Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, Food Not Bombs, and several area farms. One of its founding organizers is departing Gainesville at summer’s end and reflects on the project’s evolution through pandemic protocols, volunteer burnout, and the freezing of SNAP benefits that drove increased demand. The organization continues to operate walk-up pantries and is currently seeking donations of baby food, formula, and packaged staples for the summer.

Sources: The Gainesville Iguana