Community Food Club GR

This is devastating to our food system. Not only to people who are food insecure, but to our agriculture system. When you take away funding for USDA Commodities programs, you are taking away money from American farmers, from trucking companies, from people who process food. At the Community Food Club, we've nearly doubled the people that we've served in 2 years and this is prior to funding cuts like these. In my 15 years of running charitable food programs, I've never seen the need so great. How do we continue to provide food to people with these abrupt disruptions in food programs? https://lnkd.in/gUJGPVGu

?? At Community Food Club, we’re not just providing food—we’re ensuring our members have access to the right food to support their health. A few years ago, we conducted a Health Hub survey to better understand our members’ health needs. Here’s what we found: ?? 30% of respondents had a household member with diabetes or prediabetes ?? 20% had a household member with hypertension ?? 20% had someone following a gluten-free or lactose-free diet With this insight, we’ve strategically stocked our shelves with: ?? Low-sodium spice options to support heart health ?? Gluten-free and lactose-free alternatives to ensure accessibility ?? Balanced, nutritious food choices to support overall well-being Now, we’re updating our Health Hub survey to ensure we’re continuing to meet our members’ needs—and we’re looking for Spanish-speaking volunteers to help. Would you like to Volunteer? ?? If your organization is looking for ways to support food security and health equity, let’s connect! #FoodForHealth #CommunityImpact #HealthEquity #DataDrivenImpact #CommunityFoodClub

??Have you seen the latest from the Food Club? Each quarter, we mail out our printed newsletter, packed with stories of impact, updates on new initiatives, and ways you can get involved. And for the other eight months of the year, we bring you all the latest news straight to your inbox with our e-newsletter! This past month’s issue featured: ?? Behind the Shelves: How Food Gets to Our Members Ft. 4 of our food partners, Bimbo Bakeries USA , New City Neighbors and our newest partner Country Fresh ?? Expanding Our Impact: The Power Of the 3rd Checkout Lane from funding from Consumers Energy ?? The Impact of the Food Club- In Our Members' Own Words ?? Food Club Board of Directors: Welcomes Lura Barber & Ben Cochran and so grateful for the years of dedication from both Kurt Knoth & Therese VandenAkker ?? Don't miss out! Click the link to check out last edition and sign up to stay connected: https://lnkd.in/g3cV-YfG

?? The Community Food Club was honored with the Community Advocate Award by the South Kent Chamber! This award is a reflection of the Leadership of Alma-Jean (AJ) Fossel, MPA, and the collective effort of our staff, volunteers, partners, and the incredible community of members. We are grateful to play a positive role in food access, ensuring healthy and culturally appropriate food's is availble in our community.?? ??We are also thrilled to celebrate Ben Cochran, one of our dedicated board members, for receiving the Retail Business Award for his role as President & CEO at Supermercado Mexico and Olvera Enterprises. A huge thank you to those who nominated us and to the South Kent Chamber of Commerce for recognizing the work being done to create sustainable food solutions in our community. We’re honored to be part of a network of businesses and organizations dedicated to making a difference.

?? How do you show appreciation for your customers or members? At the Food Club, we believe that gratitude builds stronger communities. Last week, we hosted a Valentine’s Member Appreciation Event, celebrating the people at the heart of what we do. ? Served delicious drinks from Clique Coffee Catering ?? Set up creative crafts to bring joy ?? Had giveaways as a small way to say "thank you" For businesses and organizations: How do you show gratitude to your customers, clients, or members? We’d love to hear your favorite ways to celebrate and engage those you serve! Drop your thoughts in the comments. ??

?? Shoutout to all the collaborators out there! Partnerships don’t just make an impact—they amplify it. One of our incredible partners in this work is New City Neighbors. Together, we’re ensuring our members have access to fresh, ready-to-eat meals, making healthy eating more convenient and accessible. Last week, we hit a milestone—our 100th order from New City Neighbors! To celebrate, they did something special… they made lunch for our team! ????? Some of our favorite partnerships enhance food access by: ? Local organizations lifting each other up ? Providing nourishing meals for families ? Strengthening food access for all We’re grateful for partnerships that help us do more, reach more, and serve more. Know a collaboration worth celebrating?

?? Celebrating 10 years since the doors of the Community Food Club first opened! What started as an idea has grown into a thriving, member-centered model that serves thousands of families with dignity, choice, and fresh food. ?? What’s Ahead? As we reflect on a decade of impact, we’re excited to celebrate with you all year long! We have planned a few member engagement events, a summer community event and a 10-Year Celebration this fall, second half of October. ??(Save the Date: Second Half of October—TBD!) We couldn’t have done this without our incredible members, volunteers, donors, and partners. Thank you for being part of this journey! If you have a Food Club story from the past decade we’d love to hear your memories or see the photo! ?? Join the Celebration & Make an Impact! Looking for a meaningful way to invest in the community? Sponsoring the Food Club is more than just giving back—it’s an opportunity to align your business with fresh food initiatives that create lasting change. Let’s connect and explore how your support can make a difference while also benefiting your business! ????

?? Spotlight on the Community Food Club! We're honored to be featured in Consumers Energy recent article, highlighting the impact of thier partnership brining recent improvements; that are helping us serve more indivduals and families in Kent County. ? We've added a new walk-in cooler, ensuring we can stock more fresh produce and dairy to meet the growing needs of our members. ? Expanded with a third checkout lane and additional carts, so shopping is smoother and more accessible for the 8,700 members we serve each month. ? Enhanced our ability to provide healthy, affordable food, creating a dignified shopping experience for individuals and families in need. ?? Why does this matter? These updates allow us to distribute fresh, nutritious food efficiently, empowering families with the dignity of choice while addressing food insecurity in Kent County. ?? https://lnkd.in/g4h9sKrB Thank you to Consumers Energy and all of our amazing partners who make this work possible. Together, we’re transforming lives!

?? Join Our Amazing Team of Volunteer Drivers! ??We’re on the lookout for one more volunteer driver and a ride-along volunteer to help with our weekly bread pickup. This vital role supplies our members with sliced bread, buns, and other bakery essentials that make a big difference in their lives. ?? When: Fridays at 1 PM Details: This volunteer role involves bending and reaching, so some physical movement is required. ?? Interested in helping out leave a comment or tag a friend you want to join you!

??On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, while many took the day to reflect from the warmth of thier home, an incredible team of volunteers from Dematic braved the bitter cold to make a difference at the Community Food Club. They took the shelves out and thoroughly cleaned the produce cooler, dairy cooler, produce stands, bread stands, checkout lanes, aisles, and carts. When our staff arrived today, they walked into a sparkling clean store, ready to serve our members with dignity and care. This act of service not only blessed our team but also the thousands of individuals and families who rely on fresh, affordable food from the Food Club. To Mercedes Barragan and your team: thank you for honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by taking time to make in action that makes a real difference in our community.??