Food insecurity has been a long-standing issue throughout the United States. For decades, visiting food pantries and soup kitchens has helped to combat the crisis. And now, joining these existing essential resources, new and innovative ways of getting food to those in need that put technology at the forefront are becoming more common. One of those modern solutions is through free vending machines that stock items like meats, vegetables, and eggs.
While vending machines were once designed to dispense chips and soft drinks, their convenience has transcended to include anything from Champagne to live crabs. A NYC-based nonprofit organization called Change Food for Good just installed its first free food vending machine in the Bronx in October. It’s currently located on the ground floor (but may be moved to the first floor) of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in Castle Hill, which is a prime spot for families where it will likely get plenty of use, and it’s full of grocery essentials like eggs and fresh produce. “All you need to do is walk up to the machine, select your item, let it vend, and remove it from the chute,” the organization explained on Instagram.
When it comes to managing the vending machine, the nonprofit tracks the food using an app, so it can understand what’s a high-demand food item. Plus, the app monitors the food’s stock level, so the organization can determine when to restock items. Change Food for Good stated that the machine would be restocked between once and twice per month, and the machine also has a QR code where people can request certain items to be added to it in future restocks.
Free food vending machines are becoming more popular
Some items in the free food vending machine might be bagged or packaged a bit differently than people expect for practicality purposes. Garlic is in a vacuum-sealed package to prevent it from stinking up the machine, and berry containers are manually taped to prevent them from opening during the vending process. And while other minor technical difficulties may be worked through as new foods are added, the end result of getting food to those in need remains the same. ”We thought, ‘What are some ways that we can distribute food more accessibly at the point of need that folks have it?,'” Samia Lemfadli, founder and CEO of Change Food for Good, told News12. “So, we ended up coming up with this cold storage vending machine idea that would distribute the items for free.”…