Each Saturday, for 15 weeks, 15-35 volunteers come together to pack boxes full of produce at the East Lake Farmers Market and deliver to senior residents in the community as part of our Market Box Donation Program. The program, in its third year, not only supports the sustainability of our local farmers, but it also helps to provide healthy, fresh produce, to seniors in need.
Volunteers gather on the market lot to help set up tents and tables from 7-8 a.m. Then, at 8 a.m., once the food has been gathered from the farmers, volunteers pack the produce into boxes and bags to deliver. The 125-175 boxes are packed with produce, recipes and preparation tips, and the occasional specialty item such as honey or fresh salsa.
Then, the boxes are delivered to seniors living in two low-income senior housing facilities. This year, we expanded the program to include seniors living in the West End. Bags full of produce are packed for these seniors, and they are picked up by a neighborhood leader. In addition, several boxes are packed with produce to be distributed through our East Lake food pantry, Eastern Area Christian Ministries.
If your service group or religious organization would like to help pack and deliver boxes, please email Cheryl: peerincbirmingham@gmail.com. Volunteers are still needed on September 4th, September 18th, October 2, and October 9.
We cannot do this without our generous donors and willing volunteers!
This year, we have had volunteers from the Society of St. Andrews, Hands on Birmingham, Birmingham Rotaract Club, Canterbury UMC, Avondale UMC, East Lake UMC, Pell City UMC, Christ Church UMC, Church of the Highlands, the Southern Company, and UAB sororities and fraternities to pack and deliver the boxes. The Sisters and Brothers United group (with Canterbury UMC and St. Paul’s UMC), the Hands on Birmingham Faith Committee, W.J. Christian students, and girls scouts from Troop #350 are all scheduled to pack boxes in the coming weeks.
This year’s Market Box Donation Program is made possible by our generous grantors: The Lucille Stewart Beeson Trust, Canterbury United Methodist Church, The Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust, The Daniel Foundation, Independent Presbyterian Foundation, the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, and our individual donors.
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