Our Mission
Lovin’ Spoonfuls is dedicated to facilitating the rescue and distribution of healthy, fresh food that would otherwise be discarded. We work to efficiently deliver this food directly to the community organizations and programs where it can have the greatest impact. We are committed to addressing the health, environmental, and economic impact that wasted food has on our community. More on how we do that.
Our Vision
We imagine a world in which a sustainable environment and access to nutritious food is unqualified and respected. We will continue to follow the examples of, and remain informed by, community voices as we work to build a fair food system and address food insecurity and the climate emergency. These values are measures of justice rather than charity.
Our Values + Inclusion Tenets
We believe all people have value for the unique perspectives and experiences they bring. We operate without discrimination in diverse communities across Massachusetts and endeavor to mirror that representation in our own organization. Our goal is to create and foster a diverse and inclusive workplace and organization where everyone can bring their whole selves, where all people are valued.
Core values are the fundamental beliefs of an organization and act as guiding principles that help people understand the difference between right and wrong in the context of a mission. Our core values help move Lovin’ Spoonfuls down the path toward our mission.
Our inclusion tenets were developed out of an ongoing need for racial justice and equity in our community. We have a role to play in anti-racism, in building a culture that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
Core Values + Inclusion Tenets
These are the values and tenets that tell us what we do in service of our mission and the related inclusion tenets that explain how we put them to action:
Community
Lovin’ Spoonfuls offers compassionate service in direct response to the needs of the community. We provide community-based organizations with quality foods that correspond to their unique needs, and offer food education programming to help them make the most of our deliveries. We work to build an inclusive community within our organization and with our supporters.
We do this by:
- Building rapport with beneficiary check-ins and routinely checking in on the ground with our partners;
- Remaining flexible and ensuring the product meets the needs of our partner organizations and their clients;
- Emphasizing humanity and dignity for our beneficiaries and stakeholders first when challenging situations arise.
Teamwork
Lovin’ Spoonfuls embraces teamwork, camaraderie, and collaborative problem-solving at all levels of our operation. We welcome diverse perspectives and believe that inclusivity is the only way to affect change. We build meaningful relationships through communication and transparency.
We do this by:
- Communicating vital information with each other across functions to keep everyone informed, set up for success, and allowing us to deliver our mission;
- Recognizing and viewing differences as a strength of the collective;
- Seeking to partner with colleagues to make a positive social impact and seeking external partnerships with organizations which promote social change.
Resilience
Lovin’ Spoonfuls strives to be adaptive, consistent, and thoughtful in response to the unique challenges of food rescue and food insecurity. We persistently work towards a more equitable food system for all.
We do this by:
- Being flexible in the face of uncertainty;
- Doing everything in our power to persevere through obstacles and get food and resources to our beneficiaries;
- Recognizing food insecurity as a symptom of a larger societal problem and displaying a strong stance against oppressive systems.
Respect
Lovin’ Spoonfuls treats our partners, colleagues, and everyone we interact with the way we expect to be treated – with dignity and fairness. We respect the food we work with as well as the community and environment it connects us to.
We do this by:
- Acknowledging beneficiary needs with empathy and professionalism through active listening;
- Actively seeking to learn the values of the communities we serve, particularly those disproportionately affected by systemic barriers;
- Being willing to have difficult conversations and openness to feedback that allows for important conversations.
Commitment
Lovin’ Spoonfuls commits to consistency, reliability, and professionalism in the work we do every day. We each commit our own unique knowledge and skills to the greater success of our mission. Through ongoing employee education and training, we remain diligent leaders at the forefront of food rescue.
We do this by:
- Intentionally seeking and hiring committed team members who mirror our core values;
- Supporting the team by sharing resources, providing opportunity for growth, and caring for each other’s health and safety;
- Supporting team and partners by showing up, being consistent, recognizing the needs of others, and responding in a timely manner.
Food
Lovin’ Spoonfuls believes access to healthy food is a basic human right. We believe food acts as a unifier to bring people together, and as a foundation of well-being. We are committed to improving our food system by reducing food waste — and the adverse effects it has on our environment — and sharing resources to enable others to do the same.
We do this by:
- Ensuring that the quality of food we rescue reflects the dignity we hold for the wellbeing of the people we serve including their social and religious traditions;
- Strategically determining where food goes in our communities in order to have the greatest impact for marginalized communities and social change;
- Engaging in conversations with our beneficiaries to receive feedback and ensure the food we deliver provides the greatest benefit.