Double Trellis Food Initiative provides prepared meals to marginalized and housing insecure communities in Philadelphia.

Since June of 2020, we have prepared over 17,000 high quality meals to community members in various neighborhoods throughout the city along with over 20,000lbs of groceries.  We focus on a balance of nutrition, large portion size and most importantly, familiar food prepared with dignity and care.  Our current food cost per meal is less than $1 and given to community members at no cost.

In order to sustain our day to day operations and begin to look for a new kitchen, we are hoping to raise $50,000.  During the pandemic, we have been able to utilize a kitchen rent free for the entirety of our program but as the world begins to open up again, it becomes less and less likely that this gracious opportunity has long term sustainability.  All donations are 501c(3) tax deductible and a receipt will be emailed to you automatically after donation.

With your help, not only can we sustain our program but we can continue to grow and increase production to support our neighbors and community members.

Donate $25 = 28 large, healthy hot meals for community members.

Donate $50 = Help provide almost 100lbs of chicken to be prepared with love and dignity.

Donate $100 = Create and support 2 different distribution sites across Philadelphia with over 50 meals per location.

Our values:

While our work aligns with large organizations addressing food insecurity, Double Trellis Food Initiative answers a visible need these organizations do not. As a local horizontal grassroots organization we are intimately connected with the communities we serve, and are working with them to improve access to food.

DTFI’s collective approach is also integral to how we function as an organization. We recognize food insecurity as a symptom of systems unevenly dividing resources and power. We acknowledge that these systems (e.g. ableism, capitalism, patriarchy, white supremacy, xenophobia, etc.) work in tandem to intersectionally disenfranchise and marginalize.This is why Double Trellis exists in the first place: to supply critical, life-sustaining support to those acutely affected by oppressive systems.

We aim to divest from these systems of power in our kitchen by

-Prioritizing and uplifting the foodways, culinary histories, and traditional and current dietary practices of people of color in the ingredients we choose and meals we prepare. Popular nutrition science and dietary advice often encourage communities of color to eschew their cultural foods in favor of “healthier” options - foods that can be economically and logistically inaccessible and devoid of cultural context. The healthiest meals are the ones that nourish, satisfy, and comfort, and culinary legacies of communities of color meet and exceed these specifications.

-Rejecting traditional kitchen hierarchies rooted in military ranking practices. Our work is unique in that our organizational structure is non-hierarchical, with each of our team members being known as a “community chef” with shared kitchen, distribution, outreach, and cleaning duties. Our team makes decisions collaboratively and cooperatively.

-Prioritizing multiply marginalized community members in our workforce development programs, creating social equity amongst those facing high rates of food insecurity and other barriers

For more information and pictures of our food, visit our instagram @doubletrellisphl and doubletrellis.org

Fiscally sponsored by FNC Philly.