Republished with permission
By M. ENGLISH
Want to knock your grocery bill in half? Try being nice to
someone. Here's the deal... A co-op buying service called SHARE (Self Help And
Resource Exchange) allows participants to purchase fresh meat, fruit, vegetables
and staples for roughly 50 per cent off the going rate. SHARE has Montgomery
County "host sites" in Norristown, Souderton, Pottstown, Royersford and Willow
Grove. But the program is open to anyone, regardless of residence or income, and
participants can purchase multiple "packages." The only requirement attached to
SHARE's bargain basement prices -- an average $14 or $15 for a family-size mix
of groceries -- is two hours of good deeds per order.
This caveat is far from restrictive. In fact, it runs a
long gamut -- from traditional agency-based volunteer service to activities like
coaching youth athletics, baby-sitting or helping out a senior neighbor.
Montgomery County Commun-ity Action Development Commis-sion's Tina Ould Ndiack
says CADCOM's guidelines recognize "just making an extra effort to be nice to
other people" as a good enough deed to qualify. Veteran participants are
enthusiastic. They say the items on SHARE's shopping lists are fresh,
generously-sized and frequently top brands. Spokesmen say the co-op's formula is
simple. The group buys in bulk as part of a regional purchasing collaborative.
SHARE also falls into a food industry marketing niche for new products and
"close-coded" items. Its fruit and vegetables come from all over the world,
although items in special summer produce packages originate in Lancaster County.
"The packages are well-rounded, with good variety and very nice quality," says
Dr. William Robinson, pastor of Norristown's Agape Church, a SHARE host site.
"Last year, just before Thanks-giving, they even offered turkeys for $5 apiece.
Their steak and grill packages are also fantastic deals. We have about 25 users
a month, and many of those people do purchase multiple packages." Agape adds $1
to each package to help defray expenses incurred when church volunteers drive to
SHARE's Philadelphia distribution point to pick up local participants' orders.
"You still can't beat it," Dr. Robinson says. "It's such a good deal that we've
moved from our emergency feeding program to supporting this 100 per cent." Mary
Godshall, food pantry coordinator at Indian Valley Opportunity Center in
Souderton, agrees. "It's not your top-top quality, premium level, but it's
fresh, not second-rate by any means, and, really, perfect for anyone on a
budget," Godshall says. "There's good variety, too. Around Christmas, they even
offer a baking package, with flour and chocolate chips and all kinds of common
ingredients for holiday baking. We only get about five to 10 people a month
using it -- we haven't had the resources to get the word out - but the people
who do participate really, really like it." So, what's the catch? Apparently,
there isn't one. SHARE's mission defines the organization as "a community-based
non-profit community-building network that provides wholesome and nutritious
food to families and individuals." "By drawing together individuals and
community resources, SHARE empowers its participants to make a difference in
their own lives and the lives of others," it explains.
Steveanna Wynn, SHARE's Philadelphia region executive director, traces SHARE's national roots to 1983 and the efforts of Deacon Carl Shelton and the Catholic Diocese in San Diego, California. Philadelphia's program - which covers eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey - began in 1986. Other affiliates are located across the United States as well as in Guatemala and Mexico, and expansion plans include Europe and Africa. SHARE's host sites consist of churches, senior centers, Head Start programs, schools and PTAs, food banks, union locals and tenant associations.
"SHARE is open to anyone who wishes to
participate," Wynn says. "If you eat, you qualify. It's a wonderful
program...one of the best-kept secrets in town, really. Philosophically, it's
one of those programs that people say is too good to be true. But it works. It's
very much about food, but it's also about getting people to do something that,
basically, improves the quality of life for someone else and, in the end,
everyone. It's based on having faith and trust in your fellow man and realizing
that every human is a gift and has something to contribute to make the community
a better place. Participants experience a transformation, and it's anticipated
that they will bring about a transformation."SHARE is also about busting stereotypes and finding common personal ground, Wynn says.
"We try to create an environment that destroys stereotypes," she says. "You know. Things like, short people have an attitude, red-haired people have tempers...all that kind of thing. SHARE says, we're all pretty much the same. We all need to eat. When we're sick, we all need a doctor. When it's 105 degrees, most of us are hot. It doesn't matter what you look like or where you come from. So, in this environment we've tried to create, all kinds of people work side by side and have conversations and get to know each other. The concept works. We've had people meet and get married through SHARE. We had a mother and daughter who'd been estranged for years patch up their differences at the bagging table. So, SHARE is way bigger than the food." And, Wynn notes, the need for community goodwill is way bigger than the months of November and December and the winter holiday season, although, she amends, buying a SHARE package and giving it to someone else during the holidays is preferable to doing nothing.
Rose Roane, AGAPE Church's SHARE coordinator, is a firm believer in the program.
"It's a good supplement for anyone, especially for a young family or some of the seniors at the end of the month when the funds are getting low," Roane says. "People really like it because it's the same food you'd buy at a grocery store for twice as much. They even give you recipes for using it. Everybody I've talked to has made good comments about it. Participants pay for SHARE packages with cash, money orders or food stamps. Because orders contain perishables, they must be picked up the day they arrive at the host site. Ordering deadlines vary from site to site. For specifics, telephone CADCOM at 610-277-6363; AGAPE at 610-279-9597; or Indian Valley Opportunity Center at 215-723-5430. To locate other distribution sites in the area, call SHARE's regional headquarters at 215-223-2220.