OUR WORK
Founded in 2020 as schools and restaurants were closing, City of Good united local restaurants and growers to provide fresh, nutritious meals to food insecure children in the Boise School District, all while paying living wages to farmers and culinary workers. Taking what was learned in the crisis, City of Good expanded its focus to address changing community needs. To date, City of Good has distributed over 115,000 nutritious, restaurant-made meals to children, refugees, seniors, and others lacking access to the food they need. We’ve also distributed over 94,000 pounds of local produce and over $63,000 worth of culturally-appropriate shelf stable goods to school pantries and early learning centers for kids to take home.
OUR PROGRAMS
FUEL KITS
WEEKEND FUEL KITS
One of City of Good’s flagship programs, the Weekend Fuel Kit program centers on providing fresh, nutritious, child-friendly meals to children experiencing food and nutrition insecurity. Kits are lovingly prepared by our long-time local restaurant partners – Certified Kitchen & Bakery and Roots Zero Waste Market – and provide enough food to last through the weekend. Since 2020, we have delivered more than 80,000 meals to children living as guests at Interfaith Sanctuary and students at Boise School District Community Schools.
Partners: Certified Kitchen & Bakery, Roots Zero Waste Market, Interfaith Sanctuary
SENIOR FUEL KITS
City of Good partners with Southwest Idaho Area 3 Senior Services Agency (SWIA3) to bring meal kits to low-income seniors (60+) that have barriers to accessing local, nutritious food. Kits consist of six ready-to-eat meals prepared with senior nutritional needs in mind and at least 30% locally-sourced ingredients. Meals are made with care in house and with support from Gaston’s Bakery & Lemon Tree. Since the program launched in the fall of 2022, we have distributed over 7,000 meals to recipient locations including senior housing communities, the VA Medical Center, and Interfaith Sanctuary’s medically-fragile unit.
Partners: Lemon Tree Co., Gaston’s Bakery, Southwest Idaho Area Agency on Aging
MOBILE MARKET
Shop for fresh produce in your neighborhood! The Mobile Market, a partnership between the Boise Farmers Market and City of Good, provides access to locally grown produce with regularly scheduled weekday routes throughout Boise. Our organizations are working together to ensure equitable access to local food for ALL Boise residents. We accept SNAP/EBT, credit card, debit card, Market/Sprout tokens, and cash. DOUBLE UP your SNAP produce purchases with a daily match up to $20!
Partners: Boise Farmers Market & City of Boise
FOOD PANTRY PROJECT
LOCAL PRODUCE
Our produce program was established in the Spring of 2022 in partnership with Global Gardens and the Idaho Food Bank, with the goal of supporting farmers, reducing food waste, and building bridges to greater food security and improved nutrition in the Treasure Valley. We do this by purchasing surplus produce from markets and/or CSA shares and working with our community partner organizations to ensure that it reaches neighbors that need it most. Year-round distribution is made possible by preserving produce from the growing season and delivering it during the winter months. Since its inception, the program has grown rapidly. In 2023 we partnered with the Idaho Botanical Garden to distribute produce donations from its vegetable garden and in 2024 we began purchasing surplus produce from the Boise Farmers Market.
Partners: Global Gardens, Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise State University, Giraffe Laugh, Boise School District
SHELF STABLE GOODS
In addition to distributing local produce, City of Good also partners with the Boise School District to provide diverse, culturally-appropriate shelf stable goods to designated school food pantries. City of Good purchases these goods from local stores such as Food Land Market, International Grocery Market, and La Ranchera.
Partners: Food Land Market, International Grocery Market, La Ranchera, Boise School District
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
This program is designed for individuals experiencing hurdles on their path to employment. We are passionate about serving others as they find job security and self-sufficiency through skills training and job placement assistance.
Partners: AmeriBen, Idaho Department of Corrections
PAST PROGRAMS
MEALS FOR REFUGEES
In November 2021, we began partnering with local refugee resettlement agencies like the Idaho Office for Refugees (IOR) to ensure that refugees resettling in Boise receive hearty, locally prepared and culturally familiar meals. For nearly a year, City of Good delivered hundreds of meals per week to refugees staying in Boise, without kitchens or shared space, until permanent housing could be located. We delivered nearly 15,000 meals during that time and are ready to answer the call if future need arises. Our partnership with the IOR continues and in 2023 we delivered food on a weekly basis to the REACH (Refugees Empowered to Achieve) after school program for young adults.
WHAT’S IN A FUEL KIT?
Fuel kits contain nutritious meals created by local restaurants, tailored to the recipient. Whether for kids or seniors, fuel kits are made with love and a lot of local ingredients. Sample foods include: Pizza making kits, fresh fruit, hard boiled eggs, sandwich wraps, fruit parfaits, oatmeal, enchiladas, rice bowls, homemade muffins, and more! View our list of partner restaurants and growers here.
