ECHO has changed its model of food distribution to be more like a shopping experience.
Clients are given guidelines on their quantity of items based on family size, and then they make individual selections in a “mini-mart” setting. Last Thursday evening, juice, instant coffee, olive oil and mayonnaise shelves were bare. Some of the most expensive items, these are often the first to go. And it wasn’t long before supplies of canned fruit, corn and mixed vegetables, bags of red beans, boxes of macaroni and cheese, spices, and honey had been given away. Stock was low for every kind of canned tomato, spaghetti sauce, pasta and sardines. Consistently, there is excess inventory of soup, canned pasta, and canned beans of any kind as clients are not choosing these foods.
Responding to clients’ preferences gives dignity to the shopping experience and helps prevent food waste. Please do what you can to help restock the shelves with these most requested items and place your donations in the missions cabinet across from the coffee bar.
ECHO (Ecumenical Community Helping Others) assists residents of Burke and Springfield suffering the effects of long-term poverty or experiencing a short-term financial need.