Double Trellis Food Initiative

HOW TO SUPPORT DOUBLE TRELLIS IN 3 EASY WAYS! We are always in need of various forms of support to help sustain over 1,000 free meals a week! 1. Volunteer with us! It’s a ton of fun and relaxed atmosphere to chop some veg, help plate up a few hundred meals and get them out to our partners all across Philadelphia. Visit the link in our bio to signup! 2. Donate! While we source a lot of free food, many things like rent and supplemental ingredients like pasta, oils and bulk ingredients can be hard to get for free. $25 can feed a family of 5 with healthy and dignified meals! Monthly sustainers are just as crucial as one-time donations to our work! Link in bio! 3. Share this post amongst your network! Many of our long-time volunteers and sustainers found out about us through instagram or word of mouth! It’s free of cost and helps us grow! #dignifiedfoodforall #chef #cheflife #eeeeats #communityfridge #donate #volunteer #freefood #nonprofit #nonprofitlife #vegetarian #vegetables #vegan

Thanks to @civileats for this wonderful article on our collective work. I’m deeply appreciative that the writer spent time with the team, so many of our partners and former cohort members. It is a reminder that we do not do this alone but with many, many amazing human beings involved in the philadelphia food security ecosystem. 🙏As stated in the article, all of us are nervous about the future of food security. Please consider becoming a monthly sustainer to help support our work year round. 🥩 $25 feeds a family of 5 these dignified meals, filled with organic and rescued produce along with grass fed beef and big portions for all ages. Always grateful for @yeahphilly @carversvillefarmfoundation @sharingexcess @thefridgeon52nd @southphlcommunityfridge @lavaspacephl @claneilfoundation @ronnievegafridge @shaneconfectionery @honeysuckle_restaurant and your outpouring of love, support and deep collaboration. We owe many thanks to many more but just going on what’s in the article. Link in bio, @civileats and bit.ly/civileatsdtfi

100,000 FREE DIGNIFIED MEALS!! Today marks our 100,000th meal that we have cooked and distributed across Philadelphia since 2020. Over 50,000 of them have been made in the past year. One thing I want to note that many people may not realize is that impact statistics are pretty easy to manipulate. All 100,000 of these meals have been made with dignity and years of technique to create a depth of flavor while balancing basic macronutrients like protein, carbs and other essential vitamins. We cook our meals under the framework that we are cooking for someone we invited to our homes. All humans deserve love and care in the food that they consume. I’m extremely grateful for this team of incredible humans, every volunteer that has ever come through our kitchen, all 25+ partners we work with every week and everyone that has supported and sustained us along the way. For scale 100,000 meals in our 24oz containers is the equivalent to: The length of 844 Blue Whales or 185 football fields. It is higher than Mt. Denali at over 12.7 miles. It would take 12,895 Chef Eli’s to equal all of these meals stacked on top of each other. As food insecurity in Philadelphia continues to rise, we ask for your support through monthly sustainers, volunteering or sharing our posts within your network. There are over 300,000 food insecure individuals across Philadelphia EVERYDAY. Please help sustain our work because these problems are not going away tomorrow. With gratitude, Matthew Stebbins, Founder

With deep gratitude and sadness, we share that Double Trellis Food Initiative is winding down operations and has ceased meal production. From the beginning we have struggled in a multitude of ways, from the challenges of building a small non-profit, to the governmental and philanthropic funding issues like many other amazing organizations are facing. We have also experienced extenuating circumstances far beyond our control. Over the years, our team, partners and funders have come together to grow, cook, and share food in ways that nourished both body and community. In addition, we want to extend a special thank you to all the volunteers, many of which continually returned, for all your help and support to create all of these meals. We leave with: - having created over 165,000 dignified meals - young adults having learned job skills and earned certifications - incredible relationships with so many of you We do not consider this a failure, but a proof of concept: with the correct support systems and funding, there is a better way to offer meal production to our most vulnerable populations. While we recognize this marks the end of Double Trellis Food Initiative in its current structure, we hope that this is not the end of creating dignified food for all. We all still care deeply about our community here in Philadelphia, and will continue to plug into the work informally, where we can. Thank you for growing with us and supporting us--just like a double trellis.

2,175 FREE DIGNIFIED MEALS 🍅 Tomato season has been back in full swing with all these gorgeous heirlooms (and slicers and romas) from @carversvillefarmfoundation This time of year, they end up being a backbone of a lot of the meals we make - almost all of the stewed and roasted tomatoes are coming in straight from the farm and truly add a ton of depth to simple sauces. Flavor starts in the soil. Meals: 8/20: Mezze bowl 8/21: Beef bolognese with parm broccoli 8/22: Thyme chicken with sweet & sour peppers 8/23: Fajita bowl 8/27: Carrot curry (this one is a real sleeper dish!) 8/28: Goulash 8/29: Picnic platter 8/30: Chicken cacciatore Meals went to: @nwmac @mtairyfridge @germantownfridge @southphlcommunityfridge @sundayloveproject @siloam_wellness @south.philly.punkswithlunch @collectiveclimb @kensingtonsoccerclub @urbancreators @puentesdesalud @rock2future @beyond_the_bars

Dear community partners, The Double Trellis Food Initiative team is taking a one-month hiatus to reset and reimagine our program and offerings. We are hoping to come back better, bigger, and brighter! We will not be in the kitchen from 9/14-10/14 and meals will not be available. Meals are scheduled to resume on 10/15. If you need food in the meantime, please visit the Philadelphia Food and Meal finder - https://www.phila.gov/food/#/ - link in bio! If you have suggestions for ideas you’d like to see us implement moving forward, please let us know by emailing [email protected] Stay safe, we love you! <3 The DTFI Team

2,244 FREE DIGNIFIED MEALS! Chef Dani showing off *some* of all the frittatas we make with @carversvillefarmfoundation fresh eggs. This one was filled with broccoli, onions and a ton of cheddar cheese! Meals: 8/6 - 5 spice chicken with sesame-soy broccoli 8/7 - Summer squash curry 8/8 - Beef and bean chili 8/9 - Bbq chicken with potato salad and house made pickles 8/13 - Broccoli cheddar frittata 8/15 - Beef tinga 8/16 - Cajun chicken with smothered green beans Meals went to: @urbancreators @kensingtonsoccerclub @sundayloveproject @nwmac @themastermindcoop @southphlcommunityfridge @mtairyfridge @germantownfridge @south.philly.punkswithlunch @discoverypathways @collectiveclimb @siloam_wellness @puentesdesalud @beyond_the_bars @serenityhousephl @yeahphilly

2,218 FREE DIGNIFIED MEALS! The middle of the summer has some beautiful things and some tough things. This summer has been really hot but that doesn’t stop our friends at @carversvillefarmfoundation from growing incredible produce and @sharingexcess always saving so much fresh food from the dumpster. Always grateful for helping us making these meals cost less than a $1 a piece! Hot or cold - we stay cooking. 7/23 - Beef Picadillo 7/24 - Pesto Pasta Salad 7/25 - Cajun Chicken with Smothered green beans (beef bacon!) 7/26 - Galumpki Stew 7/30 - Summer Veggie Herb and Grain bowl 7/31 - Roasted Garlic and White Bean Pasta 8/1 - Hungarian Goulash over Egg Noodles Meals went to: @nwmac @beyond_the_bars @yeahphilly @rock2future @housingreparationsphilly @siloam_wellness @sundayloveproject @southphlcommunityfridge @south.philly.punkswithlunch @mtairyfridge @germantownfridge @southphlcommunityfridge @kensingtonsoccerclub @themastermindcoop @urbancreators @collectiveclimb @famfrequencyphilly @discoverypathways #dignifiedfoodforall #foodies #food #chef #foodporn #foodie #instafood #foodphotography #foodstagram #foodblogger #nonprofit #donate #giveback #organic #vegetarian #community #ChefsOfInstagram #vegan #love #philly #philadelphia

NOW HIRING! PLEASE SHARE! We are looking for a Kitchen Manager and a Community Chef/Volunteer Coordinator! Check the link in our bio for descriptions and how to apply!

4,449 FREE MEALS! #latergram Took summer break AND an IG break. Sometimes ya need both. LOTS of meals in the past few weeks so here are some staff favorites! Meals went to: @germantownfridge @mtairyfridge @southphlcommunityfridge @themastermindcoop @nwmac @welovephilly @discoverypathways @rock2future @siloam_wellness @urbancreators @famfrequencyphilly @serenityhousephl @sundayloveproject @kensingtonsoccerclub @collectiveclimb

2356 FREE DIGNIFIED MEALS! Whew - the heat is here but the meals keep going. Had a bit of a short week earlier this month due to a massive fire on 48th street but still managed to get out an average of 337 meals a day! Meals: 6/4: Spring Pesto Pasta (not pictured) 6/5: Potato Frittata with salad 6/6: Moroccan beef stew with harissa roasted carrots 6/11: Cajun chicken with coleslaw and house made pickles 6/12: Collard greens and potato stew 6/13: Beef goulash 6/14: Fajita bowl with rice and refried black beans Meals went to: @southphlcommunityfridge @yeahphilly @mtairyfridge @germantownfridge @nwmac @beyond_the_bars @serenityhousephl @thefridgeon52nd @rock2future @sundayloveproject @south.philly.punkswithlunch @housingreparationsphilly @themastermindcoop @welovephilly @siloam_wellness

LINK IN BIO A massive thanks to @foobooz for uplifting our work and the collective work of so many of our amazing partners and friends such as @southphlcommunityfridge @sundayloveproject @peopleskitchenphilly @south.philly.punkswithlunch @phillyfoodrescue @southphillyfoodnotbombs Times are weird but there are folks out here doing our best to make sure all of our neighbors eat with what lies in abundance. Help support our most vulnerable populations by becoming a monthly sustainer (every dollar counts!) volunteering in our kitchen or with any of our amazing friends above or sharing our work amongst your network!