Local heroes: Kristen from Plan Zheroes

Illustration by Nikolai Jónasson

It’s 4:30 in the afternoon, Kristen and other Plan Zheroes volunteers gather in the Community Kitchen at the Borough Market to start their shift. They open up a supply box, set up a table and take out all necessary items for the shift: scale, high-vis vests, a bike bag. The next step is to divide up the work between volunteers. 

Usually, there are three or four of Plan Zheroes local heroes on the shift, so they decide who’s going to man the tables, watch over volunteers’ belongings and set up the paper records of the received goods. Another task is to go to the traders who participate in Plan Zheroes program. And now it’s time to collect and bring back the precious donations.

After the donations have been collected, Kristen and volunteers weigh them and set up on the table for the charities to choose what they need. 

That’s what a standard Plan Zheroes volunteer shift looks like. Shall we dive deeper?

Who is Kristen Frederickson?

This is the story of Kristen Frederickson, a long-time volunteer and now ambassador of Plan Zheroes, a former history professor and art gallery owner, and now an accomplished food writer.  

Originally from the Midwest of America, Kristen and her family moved to London in 2005. They’ve been neighbours of Borough Market for many years and saw how diligently the traders tried to make the most of their wares and waste - as little as possible. 

Plan Zheroes was a perfect match for Kristen and her husband, who also volunteers. 

“As a cook and food writer, I worry a lot about both food waste and hunger. Plan Zheroes is a simple, local, manageable, satisfying way to merge both those concerns, and getting to know the other volunteers, as well as the nearby merchants when we do our volunteer shift, is amazing.” – Says Kristen. 

Kristen and her husband started volunteering at Plan Zheroes about four years ago. Since then, they’ve collected thousands of surplus food, shared their experience with other volunteers, traders and charities, created beautiful memories and connections, and filled the local community with support and kindness. 

Still, some thoughts are difficult to escape, especially when you are looking at the grand scheme of things. 

“It can be daunting to realise that our Wednesday night contributions toward combating food waste are a tiny, tiny effort in a much larger problem.” – Says Kristen. – “There are all the other days of the week when that food is simply binned, and so many traders who don’t yet take part.”

But, as Kristen says, we have to see the glass as half full, rather than empty. At Caddyboo, we share the notion that small steps are still steps, and as far as you are going forwards, the change is coming with you – transforming local lives. Plan Zheroes volunteers are wandering around the market in their purple vests, collecting and giving away the food, enjoying the banter with traders and charities, - it’s through these small moments the change is coming to our lives. “We are feeling rather special to be helping” – adds Kristen, and they are definitely special. 

Creating beautiful memories while combating food waste

Even though the volunteers don’t often get to see the final result of their work (meaning what happens to the food after it has been given to the charity), it doesn't mean that they don’t see the impact they are making. 

“I’ve personally visited only one of the charities who receive our food, and they were very gracious.” – Says Kirsten. – “But I do feel that by interacting each week with the representatives of the charities, and hearing what they plan to cook with the ingredients they take away so happily, we have seen the results.”

Interacting with charity representatives brings a truly multicultural background in terms of food. All of the people involved are from different cultures, and they see all the fruits, vegetables, bread, dairy, fish and meat in so many different ways. Volunteers and representatives often trade recipes and knowledge about ingredients, expanding their own experience. 

“My favourite memory of Plan Zheroes is when a man who comes every week from one charity, Elim House, picked up some very mysterious-looking fish wrapped in a bag filled with ice. I had met him every week for months, but we had only said hello.” – Shares Kristen. – “That week I asked him curiously what the fish were, and he said, “They are goat fish.” “How will you prepare them?” “I will sauté them with onions and tomatoes.” I told him that sounded delicious. The next week, he turned up at the Plan Zheroes table and brought me two helpings (one for me and one for my husband) of a similar fish dish he had made that week. He introduced himself as Fitzroy, and I introduced myself, and now every week we shake hands, and discuss that week’s donations, recipes, and dishes.”

There’s more work to be done – and not just food waste.

Contributing to our local communities is coming in different forms and shapes. Some donate money, some their time and skills – and it is always received with appreciation. Volunteering is a great way to help someone in need, to understand the process of how things are done on the administrative and societal levels and, most importantly, to see the scope of the problem and the actual needs of the community. 

“My personal mantra for volunteering is “those who can, should.” I have been very fortunate in my life to have enough to eat, a roof over my head, and a supportive family. If I can help share those things with other people, it’s something I feel strongly I should do.” – Says Kristen, and we couldn’t agree more with her mantra. 

Being a volunteer also shapes how you view the world, after witnessing the struggles of the community with your own eyes. 

“My family has begun to take food waste much more seriously. I actively look through my fridge every day to see what creative thing I could make, taking into account things I already have, rather than starting fresh when I don’t really need to. It’s made a big difference in my attitude toward waste.” – Says Kristen. 

Besides volunteering at Plan Zheroes, Kristen also is helping out young parents through Home-Start UK, a pediatric social work charity, and she also teaches at a local weekly Cooking Club at a primary school.

“This is the favourite part of my week, helping little kids each week to chop and stir!” – Shares her excitement Kristen.

As the final words of this article, we wanted to share one message to the world from Kristen: “We have no idea what everyone is struggling with. No one’s life is perfect, and if we could each realise that behind every face, whether smiling or not, is a personal set of challenges, we’d all be more generous, understanding, tolerant people.”

Thank you, Kristen, for sharing with Caddyboo community your story! 

And as for the audience, thank you for reading it and we hope that it will give you hope, as well as inspire you. You might see your actions as small, think that it doesn’t matter, and nobody notices – that is not true. 

Every effort adds up to someone else’s effort. And that’s how we change the world.