About Us
For 50 years, Feeding Champlain Valley has worked to address hunger through innovative programs rooted in compassion, dignity, and inclusivity.
10,000
pounds of food are rescued by Feeding Champlain Valley each Month
Our Purpose
“To be able to give back to society, you have to be well-fed, you have to be healthy, and if you can’t afford that then what can you give back? This place is important because it’s allowing people the chance to give back, to live a good life and to be healthy – to have the food that they need to live, that everyone should have a right to, but don’t.”
Feeding Champlain Valley strives to increase access to nourishing food, provide more variety in our food offerings, and cultivate a more inclusive environment for everyone living in the Champlain Valley region.
We foster connections and partnerships with agricultural organizations, clinicians, sister non-profits, housing organizations, and schools. In doing so, Feeding Champlain Valley is building a community focused on improving health, maintaining dignity, and challenging inequality.
Our Program and Services
Feeding Chittenden has been spearheading expanded food access in Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties for nearly four years, and in 2024, we changed the program’s name to better reflect and recognize the important work that’s been happening throughout the Champlain Valley.
Feeding Champlain Valley offers critical nutrition assistance to Vermonters who struggle with food insecurity through programs and services that include three Food Shelves, a Good Food Truck, Grocery Delivery, Meal Production, Food Rescue, Culinary Job Training, and an Online Market – all of which provide easy access to locally sourced foods that are culturally relevant and dietary specific. Families and individuals who pre-screen for food insecurity can order directly from our inventory with help from clinicians, teachers, social workers, and other non-profit employees throughout the region.
The growth of Feeding Champlain Valley allows for coordinated food procurement and distribution to food access centers, as well as meal deliveries to people without homes, migrant farm worker households, and diverse seniors throughout four counties.
Our History
Feeding Champlain Valley was established as a program of Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) in 1974, and in 2024 we are celebrating 50 years of feeding people and cultivating opportunities.
1970’s
In 1974, the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf (CEFS) begins as a project of local residents, churches, & synagogues, providing a 3-day supply of canned and dry food to people who need assistance. In 1976, 800 people were served; by 1979, CEFS served 3200 people.
1980’s
CEFS has two programs: the Food Shelf, which serves between 1,000 – 2,000 people monthly, and the Meal Program, which serves around 2,500 meals per month.
1990’s
CEFS moves from 241 N. Winooski Ave. to 228 N. Winooski Ave. The Stay at Home Grocery Delivery program begins delivering to older adults & people with disabilities.
2000’s
Rob Meehan becomes Director of CEFS in 2007. CEFS and the Vermont Foodbank begin partnering on a culinary job training program which becomes Community Kitchen Academy (CKA).
2010’s
CEFS purchases the Good Food Truck in 2014 and begins preparing & delivering free meals. CEFS rebrands to Feeding Chittenden (FC) in 2019.
2020’s
At the start of the pandemic, CKA delivers 1,400 meals per day to people sheltering in place at five different sites. FC focuses on an online market and increasing food access throughout the Champlain Valley. In 2024, Feeding Chittenden becomes Feeding Champlain Valley.