The Ripple Effect: Lizzy Scheinfeld & nOURish BRIDGEPORT

Inspired.

That’s how Lizzy Scheinfeld felt leaving Impact FFC’s Fall Kickoff gathering this past November. At the event, Reverend Sara Smith, nOURish BRIDGEPORT’s CEO, spoke about the stark differences in lifespan between Bridgeport and its neighboring communities. Moved by the compelling data, when Reverend Sara went on to explain how nOURish could do more to help Bridgeport residents if they had more indoor farm equipment, Lizzy didn’t hesitate to take action.  

This winter, Lizzy funded the purchase of three additional Fork Farm Units to help expand nOURish’s important, and truly life changing, work. NOURish, one of Impact’s 2022 $100,000 Grant winners, opened an indoor hydroponic farm in June of 2022 in Bridgeport, an "urban food desert”. 

Since donating the units, Lizzy, a second-year Impact member, has joined the Board of nOURish in addition to volunteering at their food pantry and touring their indoor farm. “It’s INCREDIBLE. And I tasted the lettuce – delicious!” reported Lizzy of the experience. She went on to share, “I also stopped by a couple [of] weeks ago and they were in need of extra hands to support clients with their grocery shopping, so I stayed on to help. Everyone who comes is so happy to be there and so grateful for the quality food and for the choices. It is truly a magical thing.” 

A Fork Farm Unit, like the ones Lizzy donated, can grow 25 pounds of leafy produce per month. To date, nOURish has grown 3 tons of vegetables, distributed throughout food pantries all across Bridgeport and sold at farmers markets in the area.