For years, Valley Outreach’s food shelf serve an important need for people looking for nutritious food in the St. Croix Valley. But recently, the organization recognized that not everyone who could benefit from visiting the food shelf was able to get there.
In the summer of 2014 Valley Outreach, this month’s Minnesota Hunger Initiative featured partner, launched Mobile Choice, a home delivery of groceries from the food shelf that caters to the needs of clients with physical limitations. The program currently serves 20 households (covering 29 individuals) and continues to grow.
Once a month volunteers make calls to Mobile Choice clients in the morning and go over the shopping list of available items. Volunteers then go shop from the warehouse shelves and refrigerators, selecting fresh and frozen produce, meat, bakery goods, deli goods, and shelf stable items, all according to client preference and dietary restrictions. Once the order is packed, volunteers deliver directly to the client’s home. The entire process takes just a couple of hours.
Watch this video to learn more about Valley Outreach’s Mobile Choice program and also their Snack Pack program!