Today we’d like to introduce you to The Food Lounge.
Hello The Food Lounge, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Seeing the number of people that weren’t able to sustain themselves in the midst of COVID-19, we started this organization to reduce food waste and distribute meals to those in need in Austin, Dallas, and Houston. We began ordering food in bulk with friends and family, supporting local businesses while providing delicious meals to the underprivileged; in 2021, we formalized this effort by starting the Food Lounge. Through social networks such as WeChat, we’ve expanded our organization to ten chapters around the United States, creating branches in places such as Long Island and Oklahoma City.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road advancing our organization. One key challenge our organization has faced is funding; it takes quite a bit of money to purchase supplies needed for our volunteering activities. We’ve managed to overcome this issue through the fundraising efforts of our members; our members have sold used items, including books, clothes, and toys, with fundraising drives happening year-round.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Food Lounge aims to reduce food waste and provide food to those in need; we reach these goals by working with other organizations to provide volunteering opportunities for those in our group. For example, we work with local organizations, including the Samaritan Inn, Caring Compassionate Hearts and Helping Hands, and Feed My Starving Children, bringing large groups to their volunteering events. We’re incredibly proud of the immense scale we’ve managed to expand to in just two years; our intense outreach efforts to increase the number of people we serve and groups we work with, especially in DFW, help set us apart from others. Specifically, in DFW alone, we’ve served 14,119 people and worked with 160 local organizations.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Our organization frequently uses WeChat to coordinate events and other organizational activities. For example, event sign-ups are available both there and on our website (https://thefoodlounge.org/), and event coordinators typically send event logs/letters in our group chats following an event. Additionally, we often use Instagram when reaching out to organizations/people we want to work with for volunteering activities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thefoodlounge.org/
