Some may know the local nonprofit Double Trellis for their work in the community, specifically serving Philadelphia residents with much-needed meals. But what some may not know is the story of the organization’s executive director, Chef Matthew Stebbins, and how his past motivates his current mission.
Stebbins was homeless and suffering from addiction seven years ago, but after enrolling in a three-month program and then being offered a consistent catering job from a friend, he was able to get back on his feet and find a path to launch the Double Trellis Food Initiative.
“One of the worst days I ever experienced throughout my journey with substance abuse was a cold winter day when I was forced to find shelter in a baseball dugout in Kensington,” said Stebbins in a statement. “The level of cold and hunger produced a feeling that I’ll never forget, and that serves as a major motivating factor that drives me to this day. My experience was the inspiration behind my work to make sure that nobody else ever has to feel the way I did that day.”
The organization was born in June 2020. Stebbins and his team went out during the George Floyd protests in Philadelphia, to supply food to protestors, and while out, they realized the need for food was more prevalent in the homeless community, so the next day, they brought breakfast burritos to those in need on the streets.
“That day of distributing food and having conversations with people experiencing homelessness was an eye-opening experience for us, and it allowed us to identify and navigate where some of the governmental and societal shortcomings are,” said Stebbins.
In July 2021, Double Trellis joined the Federation of Neighborhood Centers Inc (FNC) and became a nonprofit, which allowed the company to apply for grants to secure funding to not only continue their work, but expand it.
As a release notes, Double Trellis has always emphasized basic needs, such as helping unhoused community members, elders, youths, and anyone without access to nutritional meals. But, after realizing that delivering meals was nothing more than a stopgap rather than a sustainable solution to food insecurity, Stebbins decided to take the time to build the systems needed to rescue food to offer it to the community along with creating a workforce development program.
The nonprofit’s footprint is felt throughout the city through partnerships with multiple community fridges, and even one of their own—the Coral Street Fridge, which opened in 2021 at the Kensington Co-Op. Eventually, the fridge was gifted to Lava Space in West Philadelphia and soon after that, it was used as a jumping off point for Stebbins to advance to culinary training and educational programs.
Currently, Double Trellis (which has a commissary kitchen at 48th and Spruce streets in West Philadelphia), operates Wednesdays through Saturdays and employs nine people.
As the release also notes, the nonprofit produces roughly 300 meals per day, which equates to approximately 1,200 meals per week, and nearly 5,000 meals per month. Since launching, the nonprofit has served roughly 95,000 meals, and expects to hit 100,000 by the end of July. Stebbins estimates that 100,000 meals will have fed 23,750 unique individuals in need.
On top of the meals, Double Trellis also works with YEAH Philly to offer a culinary training program for previously incarcerated individuals. They also work with countless organizations, including the Share Food Program, Philly Food Rescue, Black Visioning Group, Serenity House, Homies Helping Homies, Elevation Project, Mastermind Cooperative, Workers Revolutionary Collective, South Philly Community Fridge, Mt. Airy Community Fridge & Pantry, and many more.
To find out more information on Chef Matthew Stebbins and the Double Trellis Food Initiative, visit doubletrellis.org
