Our February 2023 Community Blend partner was the Durham, NC-based Marcus Harris Foundation, which was founded by critically acclaimed poet/author/filmmaker and activist Marcus Harris. The foundation’s primary goal is to assist those in underserved areas through scholarships, grants, and general community support.
One element of the Marcus Harris Foundation’s community support is the Neighborfood Express program, which has served upwards of 45,000 individuals through the distribution of free food, clothing, baby supplies, books, and even computers since November 2020. In that time, the foundation distributed 186,000 lbs. of free food and lifted nearly 3,000 individuals out of food insecurity.
If you haven’t yet heard about our Community Blend program, here’s a bit more information:
At the beginning and end of each nut butter batch we make, there’s a small amount of excess nut butter produced. Rather than write it off as food waste, we jar that excess nut butter strategically, combining recipes that pair well together into delicious nut butters we call Community Blends. Some examples of Community Blend pairings include Toasted Coconut Almond Butter + Chocolate Sea Salt Almond Butter, and Carrot Cake Almond & Walnut Butter + Chai Spice Peanut & Almond Butter. These special nut butters cannot be purchased, however. They can only be gifted.
Every month we donate those jars to a local organization that is working to fight food insecurity, and we are always looking for more community partners to support! Please let us know if there’s an organization with whom you’d like to see us partner in the future. In the meantime, be sure to follow @mhfndtion to stay in the know about all the amazing work they are doing!