Mission & History
Our Mission
The mission of the Shelburne Food Shelf (SFS) is to improve food security for community members of Shelburne through food distribution, and to provide emergency assistance, while preserving the dignity of our shoppers.
Our History
The SFS was the vision of Shelburne resident Val Martel, who served as Operating Director for many years. In early 2015, community members gathered with different faith communities and local organizations to organize a sustainable and expanded food shelf for the community. In August 2015, an eight-member Board of Directors was formed to manage the food shelf operations. Later that month the Shelburne Food Shelf was incorporated and in 2016 obtained 501(c)3 nonprofit status.
In December 2015, Food Shelf open hours doubled and a shopping model was established, where customers could select for themselves items that filled their needs. In early 2016, the SFS officially partnered with the Vermont Foodbank to better serve our customers.
In 2017, the Food Shelf expanded its services to include a weekly summer food program for children in Shelburne. The expansion was accomplished in collaboration with the local school, faith communities, and volunteers.
Today, the SFS is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that relies on donations and grants for funding. SFS is managed by eleven board members who are also volunteers. SFS serves between 80 and 90 Shelburne households per month. During the Covid-19 pandemic, SFS delivered and custom-packed orders for approximately 130 households per month.