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Food Bank’s new shopping model allows people to shop for what they need

February 9, 2017   ·   0 Comments

Written By: Jasen Obermeyer

Orangeville Food Bank’s new “Shopping Model” allows clients to shop as if they are in a real grocery store, giving the food bank a new look and changes in the way it serves them.

Introduced in mid-December, the shopping model came from a committee, made up of board members, volunteers, and Heather Hayes, Orangeville Food Bank’s Executive Director.

Previously, clients filled an order, and a volunteer got the food, but now they can go in themselves and pick the food. Clients are called in to the back, can be accompanied by a volunteer, or a “concierge”, given a shopping cart and take a “grocery list” of what’s available in the food bank, with a points system allocated based on how many people per family, and the kind of food, along with a limit for certain items.

By having items listed with points, clients know what they can get and how much. After finishing their shopping, the concierge checks, weighs and bags the food. Points are reset at the beginning of the month.

Colleen Egan, one of the Food Bank’s volunteers, says people prefer to shop for their food, instead of online shopping. “This really helps to adjust that and it gives people a little more realistic experience.” She says this gives people respect and dignity, and though some were nervous at first, no one has declined to use the shopping model.

Changes for clients include choosing specific kinds of items, such as before when filling an order, they’d indicate soup or cereal, but can now choose a specific kind of soup or cereal. They can choose foods to mix together, such as getting a tin of tuna, tin of mushroom soup and pasta, to make a casserole. Before, clients could only come once a month, but with the point system, they can come weekly, and those who walk can take smaller amounts of food at a time, making lighter trips.

Ms. Egan says they’re doing a survey this month with volunteers and clients, to get opinions, but just from chatting with others, reception has been positive. “It has been good, because they still have the option of once a month and for some people they were a little bit nervous about coming in, but by having someone go with them, I think it’s provided them support they need.”

She says the shopping model can possibly increase the number of clients, and they must be prepared for that, and it gives the Food Bank a more positive image for not only those who use it, but those who donate.

“I’m sure there are people out there who should be accessing the food bank who aren’t, because they’re afraid of the image it might give them. I think it’s a good way to go forward.”

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