It is rare for the neighborhood rivals at Harvard and MIT to get together on anything, but the cause of food insecurity is so important (and sadly so large) that the vo-tech school was willing to host the Party Under the Harvest Moon Gala that the liberal arts college was sponsoring for Food for Free.

Food for Free serves as a key cog in the food collection and distribution machine, bringing fresh produce and other nutritious essentials to over 100 organizations and (more importantly) 150,000 individuals who might not otherwise be able to access it. In the process of distributing over 6 million pounds of food a year, they also help deal with the absolutely nauseating issue of food waste.

At the event, guests were invited to meet the talented team behind the organization and their partners at Harvard and elsewhere and also to enjoy the music of Bubble Wave while trying to win bottles of wine and bid on other tasty treats.

Harvard has been a sponsor of the program’s Heat-n-Eats program, which repurposes prepared foods from their dining facilities by repackaging them into individual servings that are delivered by Harvard students and other volunteers to people who may not have the ability or facilities to prepare their own meals (including the students themselves!). Food for Free also brings monthly farmers markets to schools in the Greater Boston area, not only allowing more students and families to eat better but also encouraging them to learn about healthy food.

To do what you can so Food for Free can do more, please go to https://foodforfree.org/donate/ and be watching for the next Harvest Moon.