A free vending machine stocked full of groceries, including fresh produce and eggs, has been launched in the Bronx. It’s the first of its kind made to serve the general public. The NGO Change Food For Good set up the vending machine in October in the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club youth center in Castle Hill. The initiative takes a novel approach to addressing food insecurity amid rising grocery prices, and helps lower-income households access healthy, nutritious foods that might otherwise be out of reach. The machine will be restocked once or twice a month and includes a QR code users can use to request specific products. The items are manually packed to minimize breakage and for optimum convenience. For example, fresh garlic is vacuum-packed to prevent odor. Recipients have been most excited about the machine dispensing eggs without breaking them. There is still a process of trial and error in determining which packaging or item categories work best, but the NGO is listening to recipients and has begun including cream cheese upon request. Change Food For Good said that it mostly purchases items in bulk from places like wholesale distributor Restaurant Depot or the food cooperative Brooklyn Supported Agriculture. They also accept monetary donations to support their work. There are currently no limits on how many items individuals can take. The organization was considering introducing a scan card system to cap the number of items per person in the future.
