New Oakdale market will provide free food by 'rescuing' it from grocery stores
Christian Cupboard Emergency Food Shelf Facebook
A new market model providing free food that would have otherwise gone to waste at Twin Cities grocery stores will open next week in Oakdale.
Today’s Harvest will open on Tuesday at Hadley Plaza, and sees the Christian Cupboard Emergency Food Shelf partnering with Second Harvest Heartland and local grocery stores to collect produce, meat, bread and bakery items that would otherwise go bad.
The items are then offered free of charge at Today’s Harvest, which will be staffed by volunteers.
The model is meant to provide items that will last a day or two, so people are encouraged to come back as often as needed to keep their refrigerators stocked, according to an announcement from Today’s Harvest.
“There are so many people in the Twin Cities who are struggling to afford fresh and healthy food,” said CCEFS Executive Director Jessica Francis in a statement.
“And yet, there is so much food that goes to waste. We want to remove barriers to eating fresh food, and make these items accessible to anyone who can use them.”
The market will be open six days a week: Monday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
