About The Sheds
This program was designed as a community food exchange pantry that promotes food security while tackling food waste. The program is structured as a “take what you need and leave what you can” free food initiative. It serves as an elegantly simple solution to community hunger that is open 24/7 and available to everyone.
Shed Culture:
Mutual Aid is at the forefront of Shed Culture. By engaging the community in meaningful volunteer opportunities at the Sheds, they offer compassionate reciprocity to their neighbours; community serving community at a grassroot level. The Sheds are a barrier, judgment and stigma-free food resource for anyone who eats food.
Food Rescue:
Food is rescued daily by Helping Hands volunteers from local food suppliers like grocery stores, bakeries, pharmacies or coffee shops. This food is often bruised or damaged fruit or vegetables that won’t sell at a typical price point, bakery items, prepared deli foods, dairy or other items that are too close to the best before date. We rescue everything and then redirect that food to our two Free Food Sheds.
Free Food Shed FAQs
It’s our climate creative version of the ‘free fridge’ (#freedge) concept popping up in communities all over the world. It’s a mutual aid space where people take responsibility in caring for one another by redistributing food resources. A public use location for the sharing of food and a food safe location for the collection and distribution of rescued food – free for everyone and always open.
To reduce food waste. This program was designed as a community food exchange pantry that promotes food security while tackling food waste. It serves as an elegantly simple solution to community hunger that is open 24/7 and available to everyone.
Everyone! The program is structured as a “take what you need and leave what you can” free food initiative, that fills unmet gaps and breaks stigmas associated with food insecurity. Our basis for qualification is: anyone who eats food.
Our robust food rescue program and community donations. Restaurants, cafes, bakeries, grocery stores, community members and even farms can all donate to the Sheds and help reduce food waste. Community food exchange program – stocked by and for the community.
All of us! We couldn’t do this alone. Mutual Aid is at the forefront of Shed Culture. By engaging the community in meaningful volunteer opportunities at the Sheds, they offer compassionate reciprocity to their neighbours; community serving community at a grassroot level.
Perfectly good food that was on its way to the garbage is saved from local food suppliers like grocery stores, bakeries, pharmacies or coffee shops. This food is often bruised or damaged fruit or vegetables that won’t sell at a typical price point, surplus bakery items, prepared deli foods, dairy or other items that are too close to the best before date. We rescue everything and then redirect that food to our two Free Food Sheds.
Read more about food rescue here!
We gratefully accept fresh fruit & vegetables, fresh eggs & dairy products, non-perishable pantry items, commercially prepared & packaged meals, breads, pastries & dry goods, grab & go snack items, toiletries, water & juice.
Moldy or expired food (not the same as Best Before – we gratefully accept items past their Best Before Date), anything open or unsealed, raw meat & seafood (unless commercially packaged and previously frozen), home cooked meals, half-eaten meals or snacks, spoiled dairy, severely dented cans.
The Free Food Shed is a Mutual Aid project not a Charity program
Scroll through the slides below to learn more!
Thank you for your donations!
These sheds would not be possible without the generous support of our hosting sites, community businesses, individual volunteers, donors and the sponsorship of local businesses and groups including:
