Fresh Idea: Market Partners With Local Charity to Feed the Hungry
By: Kim Behrens
Updated: January 30, 2013
BLOOMINGTON- When Home Sweet Home Ministries hands food to the hungry it knows there's a long line to serve.
Each time the pantry doors open, dozens arrive to pick and choose groceries they know will need to last a month.
"Everybody is so friendly, and they appreciate it. That's what I really like about it," said volunteer Faith Elliott.
Here's some food for thought:
In 2006 the ministry distributed 500 meal boxes.
Last year it gave out 5,000.
"With the economy, and the recession, just more and more people who you wouldn't even think would need it, need help," said Elliott.
Now, volunteers are going the extra mile to ensure items received are plentiful, and nutritious.
"I'm the delivery girl I guess!" smiled Elliott.
That's why she's at the Fresh Market in Normal collecting cart loads of food.
Each week the store donates nearly $8,000 dollars worth of product to Home Sweet Home Ministries.
"Bakery goods, deli products, produce products and things like that," listed Fresh Market Store Manager Jamie Vinger.
The new partnership allows mission volunteers to pick up items daily.
Foods just slightly past their shelf date are boxed up and taken back to the charity instead of being thrown away.
"To see a dumpster load of food go to waste, going to a landfill on a weekly basis is just sad," said Vinger. "There's so many items that we have here that after a short period of time that need to move on."
With this new partnership groceries are going into the hands of people who need them.
A donation Home Sweet Home Ministries is glad it checked out.
The charity also uses Fresh Market food in its soup kitchen.
Last year it served more than 130,000 meals.
Each time the pantry doors open, dozens arrive to pick and choose groceries they know will need to last a month.
"Everybody is so friendly, and they appreciate it. That's what I really like about it," said volunteer Faith Elliott.
Here's some food for thought:
In 2006 the ministry distributed 500 meal boxes.
Last year it gave out 5,000.
"With the economy, and the recession, just more and more people who you wouldn't even think would need it, need help," said Elliott.
Now, volunteers are going the extra mile to ensure items received are plentiful, and nutritious.
"I'm the delivery girl I guess!" smiled Elliott.
That's why she's at the Fresh Market in Normal collecting cart loads of food.
Each week the store donates nearly $8,000 dollars worth of product to Home Sweet Home Ministries.
"Bakery goods, deli products, produce products and things like that," listed Fresh Market Store Manager Jamie Vinger.
The new partnership allows mission volunteers to pick up items daily.
Foods just slightly past their shelf date are boxed up and taken back to the charity instead of being thrown away.
"To see a dumpster load of food go to waste, going to a landfill on a weekly basis is just sad," said Vinger. "There's so many items that we have here that after a short period of time that need to move on."
With this new partnership groceries are going into the hands of people who need them.
A donation Home Sweet Home Ministries is glad it checked out.
The charity also uses Fresh Market food in its soup kitchen.
Last year it served more than 130,000 meals.
