Instructions for setting up a solidarity table

Vision und Mission - What do we wish for?

Vision

Examples: 

• "People should be able to live in a community based on solidarity and with sufficient and healthy food."
• ‘’We want to support as many people as we can with their daily struggle. One of those struggles is food provision. Another one is the sense of community belonging.’’
• “We live in societies of abundance, where at least ⅓ of the produced food is wasted. We want to live in a just world where no-one has to go hungry and gets what s/he needs.”
• …

 

Mission

Examples: 

• ‘’We aim to help people achieve food sovereignty through food provision and teaching them how to produce their own food, collectively. Furthermore, we aim to raise social and political awareness through workshops/discussions and campaigns’’. 
• "Giving people with a migration background, low income or no fixed domicile, work or social welfare the opportunity to gain access to food and a community."
• “Tackle food waste in our community, redistribute food, fight for food justice”
• …

Goal and target group - What should the project achieve and for whom?

Goal - Why is the project being done?

There are various methods to formulate goals, each tailored to individual preferences and circumstances. Here are some widely used approaches that might be of help for you and your team:

1. SMART Goals: SMART is an acronym representing Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This method ensures that goals are well-defined, quantifiable, realistic, aligned with broader objectives, and bound by a timeframe.
2. PURE Goals: An alternative to the SMART goals are the PURE goals. Positively Stated, Understood, Relevant and Ethical.
3. CLEAR Goals: CLEAR goals represent Collaborative and Challenging.Limited and Legal, Emotional, Appropriate and Refinable goals. 
4. SMEAC: The term "SMEAC" is often used in a military context to outline orders or plans. It stands for Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration and Logistics, and Command and Control. When adapting SMEAC to goal setting, it provides a structured framework for comprehensive planning.
5. OKR (Objectives and Key Results): Popularized by Silicon Valley, OKR involves defining clear Objectives, which represent overarching goals, and Key Results, which are specific, measurable outcomes indicating progress. Regular check-ins help track and adjust goals.
6. Backward Goal Setting: This method involves envisioning the desired end result and then working backward to identify the steps required to achieve it. It helps break down a large goal into manageable tasks.
7. BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals): Coined by business author Jim Collins, BHAGs are ambitious, long-term goals that inspire and drive strategic planning. They are meant to be challenging yet achievable, rallying teams around a common vision.

You will find more information on these methods online. The method you choose should fit your needs and resonate with your team. 

Example: 

• "We want to meet the needs of our community by including more people in our circle of solidarity. We want to create a safe, trusting and respectful space for people to empower/emancipate themselves, tell their stories and feel productive."
• …

 

Target areas - Decide in which areas an impact should be achieved

Interactions with other fields can contribute to sustainability:

• food security
• saving food /reducing food waste
• community solidarity
• empowerment
• inclusion
• informal education
• culture
• employability and vocational integration
• health care
• support with accommodation
• …

 

Target group - Which target groups should be addressed?

• people with a low income
• people with experience of fleeing or having a migration background
• people who are socially isolated
• people without a permanent residence
• people without work
• people who do not receive social welfare
• …

There are initiatives where no stringent selection procedure is applied, i. e. income, origin and papers are not checked. Everyone who joins the initiative is welcomed.

Tasks - How do we achieve our goal?

Main task - What is our focus?

• saving food
• distribute food
• storing food in refrigerated containers or similar
• processing food (e. g. jams, sauces)
• cooking/preparing meals
• eating food together
• distributing food and meals
• …

 

Topics - What else can food rescue be linked to?

Any number of other sustainability approaches can be linked here. Examples from the known projects are:

• growing and harvesting together (e. g. also seed balls’ activities)
• urban gardening (e. g. with compost, also together with schools)
• beekeeping
• workshops (e. g. on trees, herbs, stress management, etc.)
• education (on sustainability, (creative) cooking, food preserving, etc.)
• connecting farmers and consumers
• social networks
• communal cleaning activities in public spaces
• clothes swap
• community festivals
• support with accommodation
• further support for refugees
• …

Resources - What do I need and do I have everything I need?

Where can I save food?

• large supermarkets
• street markets
• farmers
• retailers (bakeries, cafés, etc.)
• wholesale food traders (at “Grossmarkt”)
• food events
• gastronomy
• private households
• in Germany and Europe: foodsharing.de 
• …

 

How do I reach the people who need it?

• in my personal environment
• via similar initiatives
• by word of mouth
• posters at homeless shelters
• flyers
• …

 

How do I find more interested people and volunteers?

• targeted approach of people in your personal environment
• information events
• social media
• notices (e.g. in public spaces, supermarkets, at initiatives, etc.)
• internet portals, volunteer platforms and apps for finding volunteers (e.g. betterplace, letsact, GoVolunteer, Vostel (German))
• …

The tasks and functions are often performed on a voluntary basis. After some time, it may be possible to employ a few people if the expenses can be covered.

The Real Junk Food Project (TRJFP) offers guidance on how to join their network and actively support the movement on their website. People who volunteer at TRJFP in the UK are offered funded training opportunities and government-recognized qualifications. When paid work opportunities become available, they are only offered to volunteers who are already active. The process for interested parties to get in touch is also described.

 

What skills and abilities are needed from the initiative’s team?

• external and internal communication skills
• organizational and planning skills
• logistical skills
• networking skills to connect with pick-up points
• manual skills for food processing
• knowledge on food safety (also storage)
• social media skills
• (maybe) basic accounting, finance skills
• …

Irrespective of these skills and abilities, which the organization of the initiative as a whole needs, the prevailing philosophy is that everyone can contribute something to the initiative.

 

Where can I find means of transportation?

• approach people in your personal environment
• social media
• notices
• ask similar initiatives in the area
• ask the local administration
• after some time maybe finance them through donations
• organisations/initiatives that focus on sharing 
• …

 

How do I cool/store the food?

• cooling containers
• refrigerators
• …

 

How do I find premises?

• approach people in your personal environment
• ask businesses whether you can use their premises (e. g. cafés, restaurants, etc.)
• ask the local administration
• …

 

How do I distribute the food?

• at your own initiative
• social kitchens
• community centers
• workshops
• food banks
• open buffet events
• …

Networking - Who should I get on board?

Drawing up a stakeholder map

It can be worthwhile to create a stakeholder map over time to see where connections exist and what synergies can be gained. For example, the following stakeholders can be listed:

• employees and volunteers
• (possible) cooperation partners, such as other initiatives (which also support migrants with e. g. lessons, leisure activities, rent-free accommodation)
• food distribution points
• agricultural businesses
• processing companies
• communities
• associations
• public authorities
• local and national media
• stakeholders from the education sector
• food policy councils
• …

Organization - How do we organize ourselves?

How do we structure and coordinate ourselves?

• Who takes on which role(s) and tasks (skills, preferences)?
• Are individual teams formed?
• lists with to-do’s / needs (maybe use apps like trello)
• …

 

How are decisions made?

• by consensus
• according to the majority principle
• by delegating the decision to designated/elected persons
• …

 

How do we communicate?

• create contact lists and decide on communication channels
• How often should we meet?
• …

 

What filing/documentation or knowledge management do we need?

It needs a documentation on the planning and recording of various resources:

• time
• financial resources
• tasks/activities
• knowledge and practical know-how
• logistics
• …

 

Internal guidelines

An exemplary collection of internal guidelines can be found at The Real Junk Food Project on the network website.

Financing - How can it be financed?

• Donations
• Fundraising events
• Crowdfunding
• sponsoring
• Public funding
• …

 

How do I reach donations and donors?

• use of platforms such as betterplace.org, PayPal (Giving Fund), YouTube (Giving)
• own website (Google Ad Grants offers a free monthly advertising budget for non-profit organizations=
• social media (e.g. receive donations via own facebook page)
• email mailings
• newsletters
• fundraising campaigns on specific occasions such as Christmas
• classic advertising such as billboard advertising, advertisements in magazines
• collaborations with media companies/newspapers/magazines
• collaborations with influencers/people known to the public
• …

 

Do people pay for the meals?

There are different options from project to project:

• the meal is free of charge
• the principle of "pay as you feel" (example Real Junk Food Brighton). People can "pay" in different ways:
  • Time in the form of support
  • money
• free donation
• …

 

Where do expenses arise?

• premises (e. g. rent, electricity...)
• logistics (e. g. costs for transportation and means of transport...)
• running costs (e. g. salaries, material costs...)
• additional cooking materials (also spices, oils, etc.)

Processing & distribution

With food processing you can create jam, pickles, pies, tomato sauce etc. Usually older generations have knowledge on the process. You can utilize the older generation to teach younger people. The benefits are knowledge transfer, intergenerational solidarity and support, older people feel useful, younger people learn from the experience of the previous generation.

 

Also, Pervolarides aims to organize workshops on food processing/saving with the people they help (beneficiaries). As a benefit, the people they help return something to the community through their volunteering. They feel helpful and as active members of the society, they feel empowered.

In terms of distribution and if feasible, individuals receiving assistance are encouraged to visit the community area to collect their food items. The benefits are a decrease in transportation costs on behalf of the team members, less time consumed and people can participate in the solidarity circle.  

Formal framework conditions - What bureaucratic hurdles are there?

The formal framework conditions vary from country to country and need to be determined in the country of establishment (unfortunately, this cannot be done in this quick guide due to capacity constraints). These important aspects include the choice of legal form, hygiene regulations, tax issues and insurance.

 

Choice of legal form:

Existing examples from Europe are:

Pervolarides, Greece: Association

The Real Junk Food Project (TRJFP), UK: Community interest companies (CIC)

Collectactif, Belgium: Vereniging Wonder Winstoogmerk (VZW) / Association sans but lucratif 

Cultureghem (project Collectmet), Belgium: Vereniging Zonder Winstoogmerk (VZW) /Association sans but lucratif

Raupe Immersatt, Germany: Eingetragener Verein (e.V.)

The Real Junk Food Project Berlin: Eingetragener Verein (e.V.)

 

Hygiene regulations

Greece: There are specific (strict and costly) rules and legislation in regards to food cooking and processing, although our cooking and food processing resembles that of a normal home kitchen. For a small association like ours, there is no big chance of an authorities inspection.

 

Germany: “Mindesthaltbarkeitsdatum vs. Verbrauchsdatum! “

“Rote Karte” (basic hygiene training) is needed for everyone involved in cooking (can be obtained for volunteers for the legal form of a e.V. free of charge). If food is cooked and then given out to other people, a kitchen needs to be used that is approved by health authorities (“vom Gesundheitsamt abgenommen”).

Belgium: AFSCA (in English: FASFC) organisation sur la sécurité alimentaire (in English: food safety organization)

Relaxation of rules for mobile kitchens

Relaxation of rules when people cook their own meals → mot a restaurant.

International actors and networks

The Real Junk Food Project Central - https://www.trjfpcentral.co.uk/

The Real Junk Food Project Brighton, UK - https://www.realjunkfoodbrighton.co.uk/ 

Pervolarides, Greece - https://www.facebook.com/PervolaridesThessalonikis

Collectactif, Belgium - https://www.facebook.com/CollectActif/?locale=fr_FR 

Collectmet, Belgium - https://cultureghem.be/en/our-actions/food/collectmet/ 

Tafel Deutschland, - https://www.tafel.de/ 

The Real Junk Food Project Berlin, Germany - https://www.facebook.com/TRJFPBerlin/ 

Raupe Immersatt - The foodsharing café in Stuttgart, Germany - https://www.raupeimmersatt.de/