Friday, May 6, 2011

Healthy food drive

Healthy Food
Foods that support a healthy diet aren’t always easy to provide on a budget. The Salvation Army is hoping to alleviate some of the impact on local wallets without compromising nutrition with their local Good Food Box initiative, a part of the organization’s Dignity Project.
The food boxes will provide families and individuals with a month’s supply of fresh fruits and vegetable at a subsidized cost. The Salvation Army will buy the produce in large quantities at discounted costs and redistribute it in the boxes.
Captain Peter van Duinen said this will be the first time the Salvation Army has taken on the local dignity initiative.
“It’s being done, of course, because nutritional foods can be the most expensive to access,” he said. “A balanced nutritious diet is important.”
According to van Duinen, the box program has a tentative start date of May 18. Participants will pay one month ahead and boxes will arrive on the third Wednesday of each month.
The Salvation Army currently operates the largest food bank in the district, but van Duinen said, while it does meet a need, most food is processed and canned, and not the most nutritious.
Other community groups on board with the project include the Parry Sound District Social Services Board (DSSAB), which donated funds to the project and Sobeys, the food supplier.
“We’re looking at initially launching the program with 40 participants,” said van Duinen, who also said residents can call in to be put on a customer list.
The boxes include the good food box, a family-sized assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables, emphasizing season produce for $18, with a smaller version for singles and seniors at $13; the fruit box, $13, and the organic box with mostly certified organic produce $34 or $24.
The Salvation Army is also looking for volunteers to help with the program.

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