Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Mason.
Hi Lauren, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Be the Change South Florida is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping feed multiple communities throughout South Florida using rescued, donated food items that are nearing their best by date. Our goal is to reduce food waste by taking donated items and transforming them into ready-to-eat meals that are readily available to those who do not have the means to cook, using donated meat, produce, and pantry items that would otherwise go unused. We began by donating to local community fridges during the pandemic, where we realized many of the donations that were left at the fridges were not being used and ultimately were going bad and needed to be thrown away. After speaking with one of the hosts of one of the fridges, we learned that the majority of the people who used them were houseless and didn’t have anywhere to cook. She told us to take whatever we could use, so we decided we would make meals out of those donations to put back in the fridge and would continue until our supplies ran out. We were able to make hundreds of meals with the supplies and from there, people started contacting us offering donations and that’s where Be the Change South Florida was born.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Finding financial support is a constant struggle. Our food costs are relatively low because we work using rescued ingredients, but there are other expenses that go into running the organization day to day. We purchase the containers, utensils, drinks and some of the ingredients needed to complete a dish. We travel a lot between food rescues, community fridges, unhoused encampments and community events. The areas we serve span all across Miami from Overtown, Liberty City, Hialeah, Little Haiti, Coconut Grove, Wynwood, Richmond Heights, and Florida City. We do food rescue pickups in Homestead, Broward, many locations in Miami. Now that we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit, we are working on applying for grants and sponsorships to help keep our organization sustainable and to be able to expand the vision of Be the Change South Florida. The goal is to open a facility where we can cook mass quantities of meals daily where our partner organizations can come pick up and distribute to people in need. We need a refrigerated truck to be able to maximize the amount of food we are able to rescue and divert from landfills.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit combatting food insecurity and food waste. We rescue unsold food items from grocery stores, restaurants, schools, hotels, events, etc. and use those ingredients to create healthy, delicious and nutrient-rich meals for the local community fridges, the unhoused community and other people in need. Our chef is professionally trained with a wide array of experience working with many different types of cuisine ranging from Greek, Asian, French, Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Middle Eastern.
How do you think about happiness?
Helping people makes us happy. Being able to give someone who is hungry a delicious, restaurant quality meal is everything for us. Food can be a transcendent experience. When cooked and served with love and attention to detail, it has the power to spread joy, comfort, and love. We want to be able to give that experience to people who are already dealing with so much negativity on a regular basis and give them a reprieve to their suffering, even if it is just for a short while. We believe that by sharing what we can, we are not only feeding the body but also the soul and reminding folks in need that there are still people out there who care for them and are still looking out for them, and we will continue to advocate for what is right and continue to serve with love, dignity, and compassion.
Contact Info:
- Email: lauren@bethechangesouthflorida.org
- Website: www.bethechangesouthflorida.org
- Instagram: @bethechangesouthflorida
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechangesouthflorida
Image Credits
@bethechangesouthflorida
