What is Everyone Eats?

Many thanks to everyone who helped to make Everyone Eats! such an incredible success. Between August 1, 2020 and March 31, 2023, Everyone Eats! distributed 409,681 meals in the Brattleboro area with the help of hundreds of volunteers.

Everyone Eats! used federal FEMA and state legislative funds to buy and distribute to-go meals made by local restaurants for eaters who have been negatively impacted by COVID. Meals included a minimum of 10% Vermont-grown and Vermont-produced ingredients, multiplying the benefit across eaters, restaurants, and local farmers/producers.

Our 30 participating Brattleboro-area restaurants used an average of of 24% local ingredients, sourcing ingredients from local and other Vermont farms and food producers.

Downtown Brattleboro Alliance in Brattleboro served as the sponsoring organization for the Brattleboro Everyone Eats! hub and played an essential role in the development of the Vermont Everyone Eats program across the state. Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) in Westminster acted as the statewide sponsor for all 14 hubs across the state, while the VT Agency for Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) acted as a financial liaison between FEMA and SEVCA.

If you are in need of meals after 3/31/23, contact 211 for the most up-to-date information.

How can you pick up meals?

Participating towns have different programs that provide Everyone Eats! meals to residents. Read below to learn what the process is in your town.

Brattleboro

Meals are available to Brattleboro residents via these local organizations. Some require reservations.

To pick up meals with no reservation:

Edible Brattleboro:. Sundays 11-1. Contact Marilyn Chiarello at 516-298-9119 or ediblebrattleboro@gmail.com. Open to the public with no reservation required.

Loaves & Fishes: Tuesdays and Fridays from 11:30am – 12:30pm. Contact Carol Davis at caroldavis1023@gmail.com or 802-579-1772. Open to the public during open hours with no reservation required.

Retreat Farm Stand: Stocked Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays after 4 pm. Contact Lu Neuse 802-490-2270 or email info@retreatfarm.org. Self service, open to the public, no reservation required.

Winston Prouty: Tuesdays and Wednesdays 3:00 – 4:00 pm or until meals run out; open to the public. For info, contact 802-257-7852 or info@winstonprouty.org.

To inquire about receiving EE! meals regularly:

Foodworks: Contact Contact Andrew Courtney at acourtney@groundworksvt.org or 802-227-2787. Meals must be included in a standard two-week food shelf order. Open to the public for curbside pickup or delivery for homebound individuals. To sign up, please go to tinyurl.com/foodworksdelivery. Open hours for food shelf: Monday 11-4, Tuesday 10-12 (seniors only) ,Wednesday 1-6, Friday 12-4, and the last Saturday of each month 9-12.

Brattleboro Community Justice Center: Contact Jonathan Elwell at jonathan@brattleborocjc.org or 561-635-1977.

Brattleboro Housing Partnership: Meals are available for residents only. Contact Jake Bursky at jbursky@brattleborohousing.org or 802-428-3308.

Dummerston

Meals are available to Dummerston Residents via Dummerston Cares. Residents must reserve meals in advance. Meals are available Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Dummerston Congregational Church between 5-6 pm. Limited delivery is available.

Contact Pam McFadden at momsterex35@gmail.com or 802-451-6945 to reserve meals or inquire about delivery.

Marlboro

Meals are available to Marlboro residents via Marlboro Cares. Distribution is available Thursdays 5:00pm-6:00pm during community food share hours at the Marlboro Community Center, 524 South Road, Marlboro. Delivery is available.

Contact Jennifer Mazur at 802-258-3030 or jennifermazur2@gmail.com to make a reservation or inquire about delivery.

Newfane, Townshend, West River Valley

Meals are available to residents in towns of the West River Valley corridor through West River Valley Mutual Aid. Distribution takes place in front of the Newfane church, on the Common, every Thursday, 4:30 – 6:00 pm. Deliveries are available for those in need.

A one-time registration for both picked up or delivered meals is requested via our confidential request online: sign up here or contact Jeryl at 802-348-7173 or jerylcisse@gmail.com. Registration can also be done in person during the Thursday pick up time.

For information about WRVMA or to volunteer, contact Gloria at 802-365-7232.

Putney

Putney Foodshelf: The Putney Foodshelf, located in the Putney Community Center at 10 Christian Square in Putney, distributes frozen Everyone Eats meals during Open Hours, every Saturday 9:00 am – 10:30 am. The Foodshelf also provides a drive-up service where shoppers are able to choose from an order list of 30 to 40 items, including frozen Everyone Eats! meals.

For those shoppers living in Putney that are unable to get to Open Hours, limited deliveries are available. For deliveries and more information about the Foodshelf, please call 802-387-8551 and leave a message or email us at putneyfoodshelf@gmail.com.

Many thanks to the restaurants who have provided meals in 2020, 2021, and 2022!

Brattleboro Restaurants

A Vermont Table, Amy’s Cafe & Bakery, Andrzej’s Polish Kitchen, Brattleboro House of Pizza, Delightfully Delicious, Dosa Kitchen, Duo, Echo, Elliot Street Fish & Chips, Fast Eddie’s, Hazel, India Masala House, Jaci’s BBQ Joint, MamaSezz, Poke Bowl, Porch Too, Shin La, Stone Church, Superfresh, Thai Hut, Whetstone Station, Works, Yalla

Bellows Falls Restaurants

Jamaican Jewelz

Guilford Restaurants

Guilford Country Store

Putney Restaurants

Putney Food Co-op Deli, The Gleanery

West River Valley Restaurants

Fat Crow Restaurant, Four Columns Inn, Newfane Store, Townshend Dam Diner

More Resources

3SquaresVT

Due to the pandemic more households are eligible for benefits and all households receive the maximum monthly benefit. As always, there are enough 3SquaresVT benefits for all who are eligible! The more people that apply, the more people get benefits–never worry that by receiving benefits, someone else isn’t getting them.

Text VFBSNAP to 85511 to see if you are eligible for 3SquaresVT or visit their website here for more information!

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EE! Localvore App

You can use the Localvore Digital Voucher Program to request a meal.

Anyone who would like to can use the Localvore Passport app to redeem Everyone Eats meals. First create a username and password at: EveryoneEatsVT.com. Then download the Localvore Passport app on your phone, log in with your newly created username and password, and click on the EE! heart in the bottom bar. Click on a participating restaurant to see meal options, ordering, and pick up instructions.

iPhone: Localvore Passport
Android: Localvore Passport

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Hunger Free Vermont has a list on their website that can help you connect with a variety of food resources: See “How You & Your Neighbors Can Access Food“.

Who is behind Everyone Eats?

The Brattleboro team is:

Amanda Witman (Restaurant Liaison / Project Administrator)
Max Magen (Organization Liaison / Hub Site Manager)

Many thanks to Stephanie Bonin, who helped create the program and served as Program Director through June 2022.

Thank you to our powerful Brattleboro hub coalition: Food Connects, Vermont Foodbank, Food Works, Putney Food Shelf, Putney Mutual Aid, VT Agency of Human Services, VT Agency of Commerce & Community Development (ACCD), and Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA).

We began distributing meals in August 2020. The Everyone Eats program was funded entirely by FEMA from August 2020 through June 2022 to ease COVID-related challenges. Currently the program is funded 10% by a VT State Legislature allocation and 90% by FEMA. The funds are distributed through a grant provided by the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development to Southeastern Vermont Community Action.