Our Mission

Fareground, Inc., a charitable 501(c)(3) is a women-run food justice, anti-hunger organization, dedicated to nourishing the community by operating free marketplaces, community fridges, tiny food pantries, and other programs to distribute fresh and prepared foods. Fareground aims to collaborate to serve the community in a variety of ways to create fair ground. With a focus on nourishing food and accessibility for all, Fareground promotes the necessary changes to build local food security.

Fareground strives to:

• Provide local, organic food whenever possible. We work with local farms and organizations to secure donations or affordable food.

• Honor our community and all of its members, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, political beliefs, education levels, or socioeconomic class. We value inclusivity and equity.

• Meet the needs of our community through collaborative partnerships (i.e. coat drives, food drives, first responders to crises, social services, etc.).

• Eliminate hunger by creating a bridge between communities and addressing poverty and sustainability. We are continuously examining privilege and disparities and disrupt these whenever possible.

• Be as ecologically sound as possible and maintain the utmost respect for our environment. We recycle, compost, and avoid disposables whenever possible to prevent waste.

History

Chronic hunger is also known as food insecurity.  In 2012, several of us in our community felt concerned about food justice and food insecurity in the Hudson Valley. This concern led to the joining of this food justice organization, in Beacon, NY. Our goal is to bridge the unnecessary gaps that exist in our communities and provide delicious and nutritious meals for all. One way that we have done this is to host ‘Pay What You Can’ Pop Up Dinners in the community. Another way is that we have built and placed Tiny Food Pantries (TFPs) around Beacon and Wappinger Falls, NY thanks to the collaboration of several wonderful organizations and ongoing community support. Our TFPs offer non-perishable items, men’s/women’s toiletries, and baby needs. These pantries are accessible 24/7 and are for anyone to 'Take What They Need and Leave What They Can' (our slogan!). The community sustains the pantries with donations from a variety of generous local businesses and in-kind contributions.  Fareground is also a first responder to challenges in the community for either one family or for many. Our goal is to support a safety net of food security for all.

Fareground functions with support from an array of amazing volunteers who are consistently seeking grant funding and other contributions and resources to move us forward.