SHARE FOOD NETWORK 101

Transcription

1 SHARE FOOD NETWORK 101

2 SHARE provides packages of affordable, nutritious store quality grocery packages monthly: fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen meats and fish and grocery and staple items. The food isn t recycled or donated. It is the same quality you receive at the supermarket. Packages typically cost $20, $21 in Southern Maryland, Hagerstown, Baltimore, Southern Maryland and Fredericksburg, Virginia. Value Packages retail for approximately $45 at the supermarket. We pool money and purchase food in bulk. Purchasing SHARE packages save customers 50-60% on their grocery bills. SHARE is open to all. There aren t any eligibility requirements to participate. Persons can register for SHARE at one of more than 300 sites in the region, including 13 sites in Montgomery County. People can pay for packages with cash, money orders, EBT cards, Master/Visa and Discover cards. They can pay with a card over the phone. Otherwise they must pay by cash and money order at the site most convenient to them. Persons can find sites where they can register by looking them up by zip code in the SHARE newspaper or visiting

3 How Can Organizations Get Involved With/Support SHARE? 1. Distribute the SHARE Monthly Menu Flier to your clients and encourage them to register. 2. Purchase SHARE Gift Certificates for $20 to subsidize the purchase of SHARE Packages for persons needing food. 3. Invite a SHARE representative to conduct outreach at your organization or outreach event. 4. Become a Host Site that orders SHARE packages monthly. There is a presentation, training and 90 day trial period involved in partnering with us on a regular basis.

4 SHARE and Food Stamp Outreach For FY 10 and FY 11 FY 12, SHARE and the Spanish Catholic Center have been part of the state of Maryland DHR s food stamp outreach plan. We will also be part of the plan in We are reaching out to the Latino community in Montgomery County. And we are encouraging this community to use their benefits to purchase SHARE packages because they can stretch their benefits farther using SHARE than they could purchasing groceries at the supermarket. SHARE and Hunger Free Communities With funding from the Federal Nutrition Service and as partners of the Maryland Partnership to End Childhood Hunger, SHARE and the Spanish Catholic Center are working to reach out to the Latino community in Montgomery County to: register them to receive SNAP benefits; to register them to receive SHARE; to encourage them to lead healthier lifestyles through healthy supermarket tours that urge persons to shop for groceries that are more affordable and healthier; and to provide SHARE packages to families in need through the distribution of SHARE gift certificates.

5 Two Important Statewide Partnerships Maryland Partnership to End Childhood Hunger SHARE is proud to partner with this statewide coalition of government agencies, non-profits, faith based organizations and corporations working to achieve Governor O Malley s goal of ending childhood hunger in the state by To learn more about the partnership please visit Maryland Food Access and Nutrition Network (MFANN) SHARE is also proud to partner with this statewide coalition working to increase access for healthy, nutritious affordable food for all Marylanders, with the ultimate goal of ending hunger in Maryland.

6 Why a Mobile Market? Several factors related to reduced package sales compelled SHARE to tweak its traditional model-pay in advance to purchase in bulk and maximize customers buying power- to develop a Mobile Market. These include: Costs of doing business: food, gas, trucks, freezers, forklifts, an old warehouse; Aging customer base. Either folks no longer participated or have said the food in a typical SHARE package is too much. Lack of convenience. People prefer to have things delivered. Food is like any other commodity. People want it when they want it. Why pay for it, when you get it for free? People now understand the food they can get a free produce drop is as good as what they can get for free. Also, they are now able to access more frozen meats at their local food pantry. I don t have 20 bucks right now. Even if they want to get SHARE, they aren t sure if they will have the money when we need it, or more significantly don t want to wait two weeks to get their groceries.

7 Mobile Market Since February we have sold more than 1,000 packages at two sites in Montgomery and Prince George s counties Packages consist of 3-4 meat items and staple items. We conduct SNAP outreach and recruit persons for our healthy supermarket tours at each sale. With grant funding, we hope to expand to sites in Prince George s County and the District in 2013, as well as add some new partners in Montgomery County.

8

9

10 Mobile Market Since February 2012 we have sold more than 1,000 packages at two sites in Montgomery and Prince George s County. Packages consist of 3-4 meat items and staple items. We hope to expand into the District and Prince George s County in 2013, as well as add new partners in Montgomery County.