Ridgewood service group fundraises to fight food insecurity at new location

Woodbine runs a food pantry for Ridgewood residents in need. Photos courtesy of Woodbine

By David Brand

A Ridgewood social justice organization fighting food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic has secured a new homebase and is raising money to serve neighbors in need.

The organization Woodbine plans is relocating from its storefront space on Woodbine Street near Rosemary’s Playground to a location three times as large on nearby Woodward Avenue. They have signed a five-year lease at 585 Woodward Ave. and hope to raise $70,000 through GoFundMe and an upcoming holiday market to handle the higher rent, broker’s fee and moving expenses while continuing to provide food and support for Ridgewood residents.

“We took a leap, and we need everyone’s support to pull it off,” Woodbine said in a statement. “Since March we have transformed Woodbine from an events, meetings, and rentals space into a full-time emergency response center. This means our sources of income have shifted, and we rely on community support to maintain operations.”

Woodbine will host a socially distanced holiday market at their new location Saturday, featuring local vendors like Topos bookstore, SMK Ceramics and Ridgewood Kitchen CSA. A portion of the proceeds will go to the organization.

Woodbine staff and volunteers box food for distribution at their new location.

For the past several months, Woodbine has participated in local mutual aid efforts, serving and delivering food while stocking a 24-hour-a-day community fridge outside their office.

“Because of the pandemic people are becoming much more aware of their local community, their own neighborhood and block,” ” organizer Emma BB Doyle said in August.. “We're understanding just how much food insecurity there is right now.”