Community Meal Prep Clubs
Community Meal Prep Clubs are workshops designed for corporate, nonprofit, and community groups to support The Food Drive’s Community Freezer Program. They are led by Jess Drench, chef/owner of Mama Jean.
The Food Drive is a community-driven hunger relief and food rescue nonprofit organization that provides grassroots, hyperlocal solutions to food insecurity and food waste in cities and towns north of Boston. Since its launch in early 2022, the Melrose Community Freezer Program has provided over 5,000 meals.
The program is hosted by our partners at Food rEvolution, a mission-driven woman-owned, shared culinary space in Stoneham, MA.
We are happy to accommodate groups of six-16 participants, and offer a sliding scale fee structure.
While we typically host private groups, when we are able to secure the foundational support of a sponsor we can open up our Community Meal Prep Club for sign ups with a sliding scale for tickets.
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Depending on class size, we will prepare approximately 100 meals for donation in a two and a half hour workshop. The menu is planned in collaboration with The Food Drive.
How it works
Thank you to Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester, MA for subsidizing the cost of local produce for the program!
The workshop is kicked off with an introduction from Jana Gimenez, Executive Director of The Food Drive, to share information about where the meals will be distributed, discuss the impact, and answer any questions.
Optional add-ons for the workshop include small bites prepared by Chef Jess, aprons printed with the logo of your company or organization, and a “Dessert and Debrief” session.
What to expect
Engage in a purposeful, structured activity designed to increase collaboration and connection.
Acquire new cooking skills, recipes, and nutrition education in a beginner-friendly class environment.
Prepare balanced, healthy meals for neighbors who are experiencing food insecurity.
Want to learn more or get involved? Email Chef Jess!
Connect. Learn. Give Back.
“Change begins in our own neighborhoods, by taking care of each other.”
- Jana Gimenez, Executive Director of
The Food Drive
“Sometimes food insecurity means having less than nutritious, hot, well made, meals. The Melrose Community Freezer program fills in these empty places. I cannot express my appreciation enough or fully. It’s an incredible feeling to have my neighborhood family caring so much for me, without knowing me. Thanks to the Food Drive.”
Sunday Free Meals
Sunday Free Meals from the Melrose Community Freezer is a weekly distribution of free nutritious, balanced frozen meals in which guests select from a wide range of offerings prepared and donated by community cooks. The program is led by The Food Drive and the First United Methodist Church of Melrose (FUMC). All are welcome to participate in the program, which is hosted in the Melrose FUMC Chapel from 11:30am-12pm every Sunday, year-round. Learn more.