Food Justice at Zion Community Commons
Written by Colin Anderson, Video by Heather Quinn

The Community Dinner concept began at Eureka Compass in 2017. As it grew, and the potential for beneficial impacts in the community in the concept began to be better understood, more community partners were brought in. In the fall of 2018, the current model of Community Dinner was developed.

Each meal is gluten free, nut free, corn free, and vegan to make it accessible to as many in the community as possible. Each meal is always offered “Pay what you want/can”, and no one is turned away for lack of funds. Each Community Dinner has a philanthropic partner, and half of all funds contributed at each dinner are shared with a local, direct service nonprofit.

The Community Dinners were a monthly event at Eureka Compass Vegan Food. A time to come together over a shared meal, nourish the community, and build awareness and support for the organizations doing the heavy lifting in the community. After Eureka Compass vacated the original location on Aldine in May of 2021 to begin work on the expansion project, the community expressed desire to see the Community Dinners continue. In the fall of 2021 we began hosting dinners in the community again. We are so grateful to have these two incredible institutions welcoming us and being such wonderful partners in this mission!

We hope you can join us for an upcoming Community Dinner!!! Do not hesitate to reach out for more information!

Tuesdays. 
11:00am-8:00pm Vegan, GF, Nut-free, & Corn-free Community Dinner and food distribution.
 “Pay what you want/what you can”, no one is turned away.
 

Contributions from this resource fund the fresh nourishment we purchase every week to stock the Thursday afternoon food distribution event.

The food distributed on Tuesdays is a mix of items left over from the Thursday night Open Markets and nourishment we received from local farmers and other community food distribution programs that do not have the storage and processing capacity that the ZCC has.
Thursdays.
11am-1pm, social hours with coffee, tea, and pastries. Access to public restrooms and opportunities to converse with neighbors.
1pm-3pm, Food distribution and lunch.  
 

This resource is omnivorous, and although we try to have some lunch items that are GF and/or vegan, it is not a priority.

The food distributed is a mix of freshly purchased nourishment from Co-op Partners Warehouse and nourishment we receive as we operate as the “third harvest”.  Helping to make sure that our partner distribution sites can function as efficiently as possible.  

We work with the Midway Project, Twin Cities Food Justice, Flourish Food Shelf, North Country Food Alliance, and many others as a valuable resource to receive surplus from smaller distribution resources.
 
Thursday night, All Vegan Open Market and Community Meal
5pm-8pm. This is the Patreon funded market.
 

This event is open to everyone and funded by financially literate neighbors who appreciate the transformative power of cooperative community action.

Yes, many are fine being held ransomed for profit by an inherently violent and community destroying system of capitalism.  One that does not believe that food, shelter, clean air, and clean water are basic human rights.  (Remember, no one has a “right” to exist.  It must be paid for.  Existence itself is a privilege.)

We use the Patreon funds to purchase directly from Co-op Partners Warehouse and local organic farms to make sure that our households’ grocery budgets go further.

We also subvert the violence and shame of traditional food shelves.  A model that offers already disparaged and excluded populations poor quality, expired food and asks for thanks.  We believe that the inherent dignity of each human being should be recognized and that removing the linear, caste-enforcing violence of “charity” from our communities is essential to creating a more secure, equitable, and sustainable foundation of wellbeing.  A foundation upon which each and every individual and household can thrive.
 
There is a vegan (often GF) meal offered every Thursday night.
We supplement the directly purchased items with anything else that is vegan that needs to be distributed.  This way, we better control our inventory, reduce spoilage, and maintain a greater capacity to operate in a capacity of support and partnership for smaller food justice programs.
Here is a link to the Patreon Community Page: patreon.com/TheCollectiveCommunityDinner
Direct, one-time Acts of Solidarity and mutual aid can be sent through Venmo: @Chef-Collective-1123, CashApp: $ChefCollective1123
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