BRATTLEBORO-Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA), Downtown Brattleboro Alliance, and Latchis Arts are teaming up to present Ramen Day - The Vermont Everyone Eats Story, in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) and documentarian Corey Hendrickson for a one-week run at the Latchis Theatre.
This 35-minute film about the Vermont Everyone Eats (VEE) program featuring local participants opens on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. It will be followed by a panel discussion with those integral to the program and film, including Stephanie Bonin, Amanda Witman, Ruby McAdoo, and others.
Ramen Day tells the story of Vermont Everyone Eats, a groundbreaking statewide program with roots in Brattleboro that quickly gave rise to a $49 million program engaging over 320 local restaurants, using an average of 36% ingredients from more than 270 Vermont farms and food producers, and providing nearly 4 million meals to Vermonters with the help of hundreds of volunteers, including over 400,000 meals in the Brattleboro area alone.
The film details the program's impact through interviews with business owners, community action group leaders, food science academics, local organizers, volunteers, and meal recipients. It showcases the interconnectedness of the individuals and organizations involved, highlighting the collaborative spirit that drove this silo-busting initiative forward.
"Our impact can be huge when we come together to meet our collective needs. I am excited to keep restaurant entrepreneurs, chefs, and staff in the food security conversation, because we are a powerhouse for change," said Stephanie Bonin, the former head of the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance.
The program ran from August of 2020 through March 2023, in a real-life test of the value of collaborative, local solutions to effectively address historic economic challenges and food insecurity. How did they do it? Where did they get the funds? What was the impact?
VEE kept restaurants open during a difficult time while providing a consistent stream of business for local farmers and food producers. With meals available to anyone in need without an application, people who needed food were able to access it easily, while knowing they were helping local businesses by participating.
"This program was a total lifesaver for our business. It provided a steady demand and kept my employees working. We are all locals; most of us grew up here, and it meant a lot to us to feed our friends and families," said Cory Bratton of A Vermont Table. Led by Bonin, Downtown Brattleboro Alliance served as the sponsoring organization for the Brattleboro Everyone Eats hub and played an essential role in the development of the Vermont Everyone Eats program across the state.
"People rolled up their sleeves, figured out what was needed, and got to work helping their neighbors. Everyone Eats simultaneously helped restaurants, farmers, community organizations, and food insecure Vermonters during the pandemic. Now that we have seen how well this type of cross-agency, cross-sector collaboration works, we can't unsee it," said Amanda Witman, who helped to coordinate Vermont Everyone Eats both locally and at the state level.
Participating Brattleboro-area restaurants included A Vermont Table, Amy's Cafe & Bakery, Andrzej's Polish Kitchen, Brattleboro House of Pizza, Delightfully Delicious Cafe, Dosa Kitchen, Duo, Echo, Elliot Street Fish & Chips, Fast Eddie's, Fat Crow, The Four Columns Inn, The Gleanery, Guilford Country Store, Hazel, India Masala House, Jaci's BBQ Joint, Jamaican Jewelz, MamaSezz, Newfane Market, Poke Bowl, Porch Too, Putney Food Coop Deli, Shin La, The Stone Church, Superfresh, Thai Hut, Tine, Townshend Dam Diner, Whetstone Station, The Works, and Yalla.
Ramen Day won Best Short Documentary at the Lulea International Film Festival in 2023. It was also an official selection at the 2023 International Social Change Film Festival, 2023 Documentary Feedback Film Festival, and the 2023 Activists Without Borders Film Festival.
Corey Hendrickson is a documentary filmmaker and photographer. He currently serves as the director of photography and editor of Weekends with Yankee, a nationally broadcast adventure travel show for PBS, and has also filmed for several forthcoming documentaries as well as for PBS's American Masters. He has an MFA in Photography from the Academy of Art University and lives with his family in Middlebury.
Showings of Ramen Day at the Latchis continue on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.; and weekdays through Thursday, Oct. 10, at 3:45 and 6:45 p.m. Admission is a suggested donation of $10, but all are welcome regardless of ability to donate. Proceeds will be shared with Foodworks. For details, visit latchis.com.
For more information about the Vermont Everyone Eats program, visit vteveryoneeats.org.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.