Dorothy Day House of Hospitality food pantry had a grand opening in Moorhead May 17 and those present got a chance to view the latest idea in food shelf operation. Customer Choice allows those using the food shelf to shop for the food they will use. They pick up a shopping cart and go through the aisles selecting the food items they like. A volunteer accompanies them through the food pantry and help them with the process. The cart and bags or boxes are weighed before the shopping starts and the full cart is weighed at the end of the trip. This cuts food waste that may occur when volunteers select the food for the clients.
The new food pantry has a large walk in refrigerator and lots of freezer space also. The building remodeling was done over a couple of years but the result will serve and increasing number of people who need to use food shelves in this tough economic time.
The grand re-opening was attended by nearly 100 people including food bank volunteers, FM Chamber of Commerce members, community leaders and staff. The project received major funding through a grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation.
Posted by Howard Barlow, NRS, Fargo
1 comment:
This is a cool approach! I've volunteered at foodshelves and always wondered how someone could make a meal out of some of the 'pre-boxed' food donations - spam and jello? More organizations should follow this lead.
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