Project Restore Us (PRU) is a Boston-based collective that empowers local restaurants to feed working families. Formed by two restaurant owners, a climate scientist, and an experienced organizer in response to food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, CSF was proud to help PRU leverage its knowledge of the restaurant supply chain in order to put food on the tables of families in need.
“Project Restore Us truly is a community effort. MIT students, faculty, staff, and alumni have all contributed to the project—as organizers, drivers, grocery loaders, and donors. We are in a privileged position during the pandemic, and I have been proud to see how the MIT community has stepped up to help our neighbors.”
Spare some flour?
PRU began with Dr. Marena Lin’s search for a bag of flour. Early in the pandemic, due to delivery disruptions and bulk buying, she couldn’t get her hands on one in grocery stores—so she reached out to friend and restaurateur Chef Tracy Chang, who ordered a 50 lb bag for delivery the next day. The pair quickly realized that this was a safe and efficient loophole in the food supply system that could be used to help individuals and communities on a much broader scale.
Scaling up
By May 2020, PRU was up and running, making deliveries to 250 families in Everett. By June 2020, they had delivered more than 50 tons of food—and grown from an ad-hoc, grassroots delivery service to a fully fledged mutual aid organization that provides home-delivered, chef-tailored grocery boxes that are nutritious, long-lasting, and culturally appropriate.
Spreading the love
By January 2021, PRU was in need of additional resources to meet demand for their services throughout Boston. CSF provided funds to support a new partnership with the Chinese Progressive Association of Boston, which had requested assistance in helping their members to meet basic needs.
With CSF’s help, PRU was able to deliver 14,880 pounds of groceries to 206 households—many of which were elderly singles and couples with limited mobility and means to make ends meet.
The work continues
Though progress is being made in ending the pandemic, PRU remains hard at work providing food to families in need throughout the recovery. As of February 2021, the organization has served more than 300,000 pounds of food to more than 2,000 food insecure families throughout Greater Boston.
