BOSTON - Friday,
September 3, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey and the Mayor’s Office of Food Access
(OFA) today announced the launch of the food resources SMS chatbot and the online food
donations platform. Both initiatives respond to goals included in Boston's Food Access Agenda, aiming to strengthen the citywide food
access network by efficiently connecting existing programs and resources to
better serve the community.
“Ensuring every
Boston resident has access to nutritious meals is essential to building an
equitable City,” said Mayor Kim Janey. “I’m excited to introduce this
creative option to reduce food insecurity. This tech tool enables residents
to connect with or provide services when it’s most convenient for
them.”
The food resources
SMS chabot was created by the Mayor’s Office of Food Access, together with
the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM) following the success of
the food delivery chatbot launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The goal of this new tool is to offer a centralized source of food
resources information that is available 24/7, in eight different languages,
and doesn’t require internet connectivity. To access this tool in English,
residents can text the word ‘FOOD’ to 617-579-8238. To access the other
seven languages in which the tool is available residents can text:
·
‘COMIDA’
for Spanish
·
‘MANJE’
for Haitian Creole
·
‘THỨC
ĂN’ for Vietnamese
·
‘食物’ for Simplified Chinese
·
‘KOMIDA’
for Cape Verdean Creole
·
‘ALIMENTO’
for Portuguese
·
For
Arabic - ‘طعام’
“By reducing digital
and language barriers, the Office of Food Access’ goal is to create a more
equitable food system where everyone is welcome and can be connected with
the resources they need,” said Catalina López-Ospina, Mayor’s Office of
Food Access Director. “In the first iteration of the chatbot we received
very positive feedback from residents and we hope this tool helps residents
navigate all the resources that are available in the City.”
The online food
donations platform was created by the Office of Food Access to encourage
connections between those that have food available for donation and those
that need it or can distribute it, and to avoid food waste. Organizations
and individuals interested in joining this network must create an account
at www.boston.gov/food-donations. Once an organization or individual creates
an account, it can then post food donations and mark them as claimed. To
claim food donations organizations or individuals must contact the ‘donor’
and arrange the logistics for pick up. The donation interchange must be
completely handled by the donor and receiver. OFA is unable to provide
assistance with logistics. The food donations that are posted in the
platform are approved by the Office of Food Access to avoid misuse of the
platform.
For more information
about food resources available, visit here.
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