Local Food Relief Groups Lead $1M American Red Cross Pilot, Driven by FastRoots Technology

Written By Matt Corzine

Asheville, NC (April 15, 2025) – FastRoots, a collaborative software platform designed to empower grassroots food alliances, has joined a major disaster relief pilot bringing together a dynamic alliance of grassroots food organizations—Mother Earth Food, Equal Plates Project, and Grassroots Aid Partnership and funded by a $1 million investment from the American Red Cross. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, this pilot marks the first large-scale deployment of FastRoots’ technology, transforming disaster response into a long-term model for speed, trust, and transparency.

The Relief to Resilience Project, fiscally sponsored by Asheville-based nonprofit Impact Health, brings together a dynamic alliance of grassroots food organizations—Mother Earth Food, Equal Plates Project, and Grassroots Aid Partnership—coordinated and measured through the FastRoots platform. Together, they will deliver over 63,000 chef-crafted meals and local farm boxes to Western North Carolina (WNC) communities while strengthening the economic foundation of local farms.

“FastRoots exists to ensure that community efforts are backed by technology, so that the most effective grassroots responses can grow, scale, and sustain,” said Matt Corzine, Co-Founder & CEO of FastRoots. “Our platform gives grassroots groups the operational backbone they need to prove their impact and secure long-term funding.”

Turning Relief into Resilience through Technology

FastRoots equips local alliances with tools to:

  • Map needs in real time through geotagged data collection

  • Coordinate delivery efforts across independent organizations

  • Track impact metrics such as meals delivered and unfulfilled needs

  • Generate funder-ready reports that build trust and attract future investment

This level of real-time transparency and operational efficiency has typically been out of reach for grassroots initiatives. The FastRoots platform now makes it possible—without requiring large administrative teams.

“Technology plays a critical role in making sure help gets where it’s needed most,” said Addison Fuller, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of FastRoots. “FastRoots connects the dots between action on the ground and the data funders need to see to drive further investment.”

A Model Built in Crisis, Ready to Scale

FastRoots was born during the chaos following Hurricane Helene, when founder Addison Fuller—stranded out of state and away from his family members mountain community—mobilized a group of volunteers using only Reddit and his smartphone. What began as a DIY search and rescue mission evolved into a 100+ volunteer grassroots effort across five counties and two states. Ultimately turning into what is now formally FastRoots when Addison Fuller joined forces with Matt Corzine to build the platform to support the American Red Cross pilot.

The current pilot, which runs through June 2025, aims to validate the FastRoots platform by proving how data-driven coordination can:

  • Increase the efficiency of food distribution

  • Lower duplication and waste

  • Surface unmet needs in real time

  • Lay the groundwork for scalable models in other crisis zones

FastRoots has already tracked thousands of food distributions through the American Red Cross pilot across Western North Carolina as well as the larger unmet needs across the region. This data has already started discussions with key stakeholders to determine what further resources are needed to continue providing food for those who need it most.

About FastRoots

FastRoots is a cloud-based software platform purpose-built to empower grassroots organizations with the tools they need to collaborate effectively, demonstrate measurable impact, and attract sustainable funding. Its features include real-time data collection, customizable reporting, and cross-organizational coordination dashboards that eliminate duplication and make every effort count. Built by and for community leaders, FastRoots transforms on-the-ground operations into credible outcomes that funders, policymakers, and networks can trust and scale. Learn more at fastroots.org

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

Matt Corzine