We launched our first community program in collaboration with 508 C.H.E.E.R.S. by giving out over 800 free lunches at the Worcester Out to Lunch Festival this summer. We're returning to the Common for the last event on September 9th to do even more good, and we need your help!

Help us get an additional 300 meals this week!

We launched our We All Deserve To Eat nutrition support and food access initiative because it's the most immediate need for supporting trauma recovery and executive functioning in our community.

What are we doing?

This summer, we provided free lunches to anyone who needed (or wanted) one in collaboration with 508 C.H.E.E.R.S. at the Worcester Out to Lunch Festival on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th. No applications, no eligibility requirements, no hoops to jump through. Our goal was to give out at least 1,000 meals across the four dates we were originally schedules. As of 9/2/2026, we've given out over 800 meals at 6 dates. We've also kept the Common hydrated: we handed out over 2400 water bottles at the event.

In addition to providing free meals, we're providing free resources to families and individuals who are struggling with food access and nutrition for any reason, including the We All Deserve To Eat Workbook.

Why at a farmer's market / food truck festival?

Because everyone deserves to feel welcome and included at events in their community even when they don't have money to spend. We're making sure everyone who wants or needs hydration, a meal, or help accessing food resources is able to get what they need so that they can still enjoy community events.

We've seen so much welcome and support at these events by the other vendors and nonprofits doing good work downtown.

How your donation helps

Larger contributions allow us to purchase in bulk and combine donated food and supplies, but every dollar we raise makes an enormous impact in the community.

$10 = 5 free meals
$25 = 12 free meals
$50 = 30 free meals
$100 = 75 free meals

Just like previous weeks, we'll still do as much as we can with whatever we get, and we'll never give out fewer than 150 meals no matter what. Every dollar goes directly toward food, materials, and printed resource distribution.

TEFI is a federally recognized 501(c)(3), so all donations are tax-deductible.

Have a business? Sponsor our resource guide and do even more good!

We want to print our resource guide and get it to as many Worcester County residents as possible this summer and fall. You can help us do more good and get some recognition for your support by helping us with the cost of printing.

$250 = Your logo featured in the resource guide on a special gratitude page
$500 = Half-page sponsor acknowledgment featuring your logo, business name, website, and a brief description, plus logo placement on our tents and banners at WOTL

TEFI is a federally recognized 501(c)(3). Sponsorships are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Can't donate right now?

You can still help! We're trying to get our workbook and resource guide into the hands of everyone that needs it.

Donate in-kind goods and supplies! Take a look at our shopping list here: https://share-a-cart.com/get/2QVS8. Then email acoleman@tefinstitute.org or text 774-244-3535 to arrange a pick-up/drop off of supplies.
Share a link to the Root Systems program page with your social networks: https://tefinstitute.org/programs/root-systems
Share a link to this donation page with someone you think would like to support us: https://givebutter.com/we-all-deserve-to-eat

Who is TEFI?

The Trauma & Executive Functioning Institute (TEFI) is a Worcester research and community programming nonprofit that is changing the trauma-informed space. Since starting up, we've launched the beta test of our primary executive functioning support tool called FunctionalMe through the Responsive Tech Lab @ TEFI. We've also partnered with several local nonprofits like The CASA Project Worcester and 508 C.H.E.E.R.S. to develop apps and programs to support youth and families navigating trauma and executive dysfunction.

Our mission is to improve daily life through trauma research, public health education, and innovative tools that support stability and functional well-being. We turn evidence into practical solutions that help people heal, learn, connect, and thrive.

Root Systems is TEFI's first community-based program designed to address immediate and basic needs like nutrition, stable housing, clothing, education, and economic opportunity.

What is Root Systems?

Root Systems is a program of the Trauma & Executive Functioning Institute (TEFI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Worcester, MA. We address barriers to nutrition, housing, and economic opportunity as trauma and executive functioning concerns. When people can't meet their basic needs, their ability to think clearly, plan ahead, and advocate for themselves is compromised. We're not asking people to overcome these barriers alone, we're working to remove them.

We consider cultural and family connections to be a basic need just as important as food, shelter, healthcare, and economic opportunity. Last holiday season we helped make sure that the QCC Human Services Club was able to get gifts to over 200 children of students at the school who needed help making ends meet.

The We All Deserve To Eat initiative is founded on three urgent needs we've identified in our community: food security, mental health, and shame-free nutrition guidance for families and individuals. Here's why it matters:

When our bodies aren't able to get enough nutrition, our brains struggle to perform. Hunger and food insecurity add cognitive load and stress that makes it harder to think clearly, plan, focus our attention, or adapt to challenges. In Worcester County, more than 100,000 families and individuals are struggling to get enough to eat. Everyone is struggling with rising food costs and grocery bills. Without enough to eat, students have a harder time in school, families have a harder time making ends meet, and people with mental health concerns struggle to access services and resources they desperately need.
When we feel excluded from or unwelcome at community events, it damages the neural connections that we need to feel safe and supported. Social engagement isn't just a nice-to-have. It's a basic survival need. Without it, our bodies and brains are more likely to experience trauma and executive dysfunction. And since so many of our residents are still waiting to receive the help they need, we can't afford to do more damage while they wait. One of the biggest themes we've encountered when talking to the recovery community is the negative impact that loneliness and stigma have on their ability to maintain their recovery.
We're actively fighting some of the dis- and misinformation that the current administration is circulating as part of our fight for nutrition justice. The MAHA movement is putting out inaccurate and shame-based nutrition guidance that isn't supported by evidence or research, and some advice that can actively harm children and individuals who have common health issues. Our nutrition guides were created with evidence-based approaches that support executive functioning, improve nutritional insight, and help prevent disordered eating.

Who is 508 C.H.E.E.R.S.?

508 C.H.E.E.R.S. is a Worcester 501(c)(3) nonprofit raising the next generation of youth leaders through service, advocacy, mentorship, and wellness. Founded by Echo Louissaint-Collins over 4 years ago as a basketball program, it has evolved into being so much more by helping address food security, mental health, menstrual equity, and advocacy needs for and with BIPOC and disadvantaged youth in the city.

We All Deserve To Eat: Free meals and resources for anyone who needs it at Worcester Out To Lunch

Help Root Systems reach even more children, families, and individuals in need this summer