Vending machines have become a must in all of our neighborhoods. It’s strange to see one that isn’t full of chocolate, snacks or those last-minute “you-know-what” purchases. But think for a moment: what if those vending machines, instead of junk food or sodas, offered fresh food, teas or other healthy options without spending a single dollar?
Completely free items.
Well, stop imagining it, because this is happening right now in The Bronx, and it’s changing the way people get access to food.
Millions of people in our country live under the poverty line or with food insecurity, so an NGO decided to break this cycle and create a new kind of vending machine. More human, more accessible. Food, vegetables, real proteins, no money needed, no questions asked.
It’s an incredible idea and a much better concept overall, and many other places could use this model in the streets of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. But first, let’s see how this free-food vending system actually works.
Free food machines
At first sight, they look like regular vending machines, the same ones you’ve probably seen in the hallway of any station to grab a snack while you wait. But inside these ones, there’s a completely different story.
The idea comes from the NGO Change Food For Good, the organization that designed these machines to provide fresh food to people in need. The best part is that most of this food is grown by young agricultural workers from the community itself, using local hydroponic gardens.
And they work on a trust-based model: if you need food, you just take it. No one will question you, because that’s exactly what the machines are meant for. And, as we said, it’s free, you don’t have to pay anything.
If you need something, take it. If you want to help, you can join the NGO in farm work, in producing the machines, or even in restocking them.
Better than SNAP?
Well, they’re different things. SNAP is a supplemental system to ensure people have access to fresh food throughout the month, but this system works differently (even if both target people with limited resources).
Remember, SNAP is a federal benefit with a long administrative process, while these machines operate with zero paperwork. They offer food immediately, without asking people about their income.
Made in The Bronx
As you may hear, The Bronx is one of the most disadvantaged areas in New York, economically talking, of course. Almost one of four families survive under the poverty line, and sometimes, eating well is a real luxury for many families
This is the reason why the first machine was installed in the Kips Bay Boys & Girl Club, a place where many families walk through every day. There, technology stops being something strange to become a friend with fresh food to fill their fridges.
Since now, they have shred more than 7,000 kilos of food to more than 1,100 families, and this was only the start!!
Magic beside the project
It is not magic at all, there are a lot of effort and people working behind the scenes,
The hydroponic gardens let people grow much more in small places (and faster), perfect for crowd cities like New York.
The best part, or at least what we consider it is the best is that this project involves the young people of the society, they learn to farm and about sustainability, so this project does not only share food but creates opportunities for people in deprived neighbourhoods.
Could it be in all the U.S.?
That’s the main idea, this NGO wants to place those machines in hospitals, schools, train and metro stations or community centers. The main challenge of this plan is obviously logistic, constant installation, fresh food and transport, you know. But the community’s answer will be the clue for this project to work, because when people wants something to work, they find always the way!
This project’s meaning
Technology can also be human, closer and useful in the most complicated moments, it is a mix of food, dignity and a way of make community!