In March 2020, the Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative (KEFC) was formed by a network of individuals and organizations working toward a common goal of feeding people in our community during a time of crisis. Since its inception, KEFC has grown its vision and mission to include both providing  immediate service to our community as well as addressing and dismantling the root causes of food insecurity through education and advocacy.

KEFC is a non-hierarchical grassroots coalition of many groups: direct service providers, not-for-profits, activists, and community members. The collaborative believes that unequal access to healthy food within Ulster County demands the attention of all members of the community and should be urgently addressed through direct service and systemic change. While there are many organizations doing emergency food relief work in Kingston and Ulster County, KEFC was formed as an emergency response to help these organizations work collaboratively to address food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. KEFC continues to evolve to address larger food system issues in addition to the direct service work.

KEFC envisions a Kingston community where all members have open access to food and personal agency in the food system.