Second Helpings
This program is essential to Good Shepherd’s ability to feed hundreds of hungry neighbors on a daily basis. Seven days a week, volunteers collect food from area grocery stores, restaurants and bakeries, then weigh and sort it for use by the Soup Kitchen and in our supplemental feeding efforts. Over the course of the year, 500 tons of usable food—that might otherwise have been thrown away—is instead rescued and directed to those in need through Good Shepherd.
In recent years, Good Shepherd has further expanded its reach to hungry individuals through a Food Box program and weekly Grocery Giveaway. In the first, volunteers pack and deliver boxes of pantry staples to formerly homeless, recently rehoused seniors and persons with special needs. This serves to ensure continued access to needed food supports for those who may no longer be able to access the Soup Kitchen or grocery stores easily, in the process supporting their health and continued housing stability at the same time. Taking place every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m., the Grocery Giveaway provides several meals’ worth of produce and pantry staples to households who join a walk-up or drive-through line. Together, these programs serve to provide hundreds of thousands of meals to our food insecure neighbors every year.
“Being able to pick up groceries without feeling judged meant so much. It helped my family get through a hard season.”
Giveaway Recipient