What does the Neighborhood Food Circle Network do?
The Neighborhood Food Circle Network helps communities create local systems of care that make sure everyone has access to food through cooperation rather than charity.
We provide the framework, resources, and support that neighborhoods need to build and sustain Food Circle Cupboards and micro-networks of mutual aid.
These circles are resident-led, locally funded, and rooted in trust between neighbors.
The Network’s role is to make it easier for communities to organize, connect, and thrive together.
We help neighborhoods organize
Every neighborhood has different needs and strengths.
The Network helps community organizers, local nonprofits, and resident groups come together to plan, build, and maintain food-sharing cupboards and community fridges, as well as provide a platform for neighborhoods to manage their Food Circle.
We offer a clear, step-by-step framework for launching a local Food Circle from forming a small organizing team to setting up communication systems and maintaining food safety standards.
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Through this framework, neighborhoods gain the tools to sustain long-term access to food without relying solely on distant programs or unpredictable donations.
We connect local efforts
The Network’s online platform links all participating Food Circles into one connected system. Each neighborhood gets its own Food Circle page, where local organizers can:
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Coordinate cupboard restocks and track needs
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Share resources or surplus with nearby circles
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Post community events like potlucks, restock days, or meal-sharing initiatives
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Highlight partnerships with local schools, farms, or businesses
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Track impact metrics such as food shared, households supported, or waste reduced
This platform makes it possible for small, local acts of kindness to add up to regional change while creating a visible, living map of community care in action.
We empower neighbors
to take action
A Food Circle starts with a group of neighbors working together to build a series of Food Circle Cupboards. Once those cupboards are established, it grows into a whole ecosystem of connection.
Some neighborhoods start meal-share programs, host pop-up food swaps, or work with local gardeners to distribute fresh produce.
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The Network provides the organizational materials, templates, and guides that make it easy to start and sustain these projects. Our goal is to empower every resident to become part of the solution, not just established organizations.
We support collaboration, not competition
The Food Circle Network doesn’t replace food banks, school programs, or pantries, it strengthens them.
By creating small, community-managed systems, we fill in the gaps that larger programs can’t always reach.
We encourage collaboration between neighbors, nonprofits, churches, schools, and small businesses so that every available resource can be used efficiently and fairly.
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When everyone works together with each person doing a small part, no one has to face hunger alone.
We measure impact
and share results
Each Food Circle is encouraged to track local participation and outcomes, including how much food is shared, how many households are served, and how often cupboards are restocked, and regularly report them to NFCN.
These reports feed into a larger dataset that helps us understand the impact of neighbor-to-neighbor food sharing, from reducing waste and improving food security to strengthening social ties.
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Over time, these shared insights help inspire other communities to build their own circles, spreading the model one neighborhood at a time.
