While government programs and non-profit organizations have sought to aid the millions of Americans whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the pandemic, here in the South End, neighbors have used their imagination to help struggling neighbors at the community level.
Most recently, the South End has welcomed two such initiatives: the grassroots South End Fridge project, a give-what-you-can, take-what-you-need food pantry located in front of Make Shift Boston at 549 Columbus Avenue, and Buy-A-Bite, a shopping-incentive campaign to bolster sales at local stores and restaurants organized and sponsored by the South End Business Alliance (SEBA) and the Blackstone/Franklin Square Neighborhood Association (B/FSNA). The South End News contacted organizers of both efforts to learn more.
Elizabeth Beutel, director of marketing at AC Hotel Ink Block, became president of SEBA in October 2020, and is enthusiastic about using her position to expand SEBA's inclusivity and services to South End businesses. Since becoming president in October of last year, Beutel has made it her mission for SEBA to become "the South End Community Board for the South End," a clearinghouse for information and assistance to entrepreneurs "within the four walls of the South End."
SEBA's bailiwick has expanded to encompass not only strengthening the South End's identity as a shopping, dining and arts hub but also supporting non-profit groups such as South End Soccer and United South End Settlements. Buy-A-Bite stemmed from a conversation between B/FSNA's Jonathan Alves and SEBA board member Eve Ward about investing B/FSNA funds in a program to stimulate shopping at South End businesses and dining at local restaurants.
B/FSNA provided $5,000 to purchase gift cards to South End restaurants, SEBA provided the Buy-A-Bite logo hashtag, and B/FSNA and SEBA sought 10 businesses in different retail categories to award the gift cards to shoppers who spend a certain amount at their stores.
So far, nine stores, including M. Flynn Jewelry, SOMA Optical, Sault New England, Honey and Comb salon, Coucou children's clothing and others have signed up to provide eligible purchasers with restaurant gift cards, and the two organizations would like to find a tenth, non-competing store to round out the incentive program.
Eligible purchasers will receive gift cards to restaurants including Anoush'Ella, Estragon, Orinoco, El Centro, and the Elephant Walk on Washington Street. Each participating business determines the spending amount that qualifies for a gift card and the amount of the gift card to be awarded. The cross-promotion just became operational at the beginning of April, and SEBA will monitor the results of the program, seeing this as a pilot to be followed by other cross-promotion campaigns.
Beutel said that SEBA will do a mid-term check-in with participating businesses to provide a final overview tracking to determine the total sales generated and the number of gift cards awarded. "We want to prove that people are making money from it. Everything we do we want to make sure it is measurable. If results are weak maybe you need to tweak it," Beutel said. To learn more about the Buy-A-Bite campaign, visit http://www.sebaboston.com/announcing-buy-a-bite/.
On March 24, a large, white refrigerator was placed inside a turquoise wooden shed in front of Make Shift Boston at 549 Columbus Avenue with a hand-written sign that reads, "FREE FOOD Leave What You Can, Take What You Need." Brought to you by a loosely organized, grassroots group of volunteers, South End Fridge allows residents in need food and personal hygiene items that they can access anonymously at their convenience, while allowing donors to contribute items anonymously and at their convenience.
South End Fridge spokesperson Nicole Batrouny credits Audrey Ng, a recent transplant to the South End, with spearheading the effort, and was excited to join. I actually live in Medford, but I loved the idea and wanted to help make it a reality," Batrouny said. South End Fridge organizers held a Valentine's Day benefit comprising an on-line art sale and concert to raise launch money, and .
While the South End Fridge group stands alone, there are similar on-street "fridges'' around Boston in Jamaica Plain and Hyde Park, as well as Fridge in the Square in Harvard Square, Cambridge, and community fridges in other cities such as Worcester and New York. A portion of the funds for South End Fridge will reimburse Make Shift Boston, a non-profit that offers a safe space to people of color, LGBTQ persons and others for co-working and community events, for electricity. Batrouny said that Siena Farms at 106 Waltham Street has also aided South End Fridge.
Since South End Fridge is available 24 hours and is not staffed, it is hard to track exactly what and how many items are donated and picked up each day, but according to Batrouny, "Milk, snacks, personal hygiene items, meat, and ready-to-eat foods go quickly!"
For more information, visit https://linktr.ee/BostonSouthEndCommunityFridge?fbclid=IwAR2OtJwHAvFuIPI0NDHWyVcaorzjV7tYEfD-N5zTkNts4SOhLwy_w9iqxpQ and follow South End Fridge on instagram @southendfridge and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/southendfridge. Donations can be made at the South End Community Fridge GoFundMe and on Cash App at $SouthEndFridge.