This blog was written and submitted by Marcia Levison, Board Member and Manager of the Richmond Food Shelf & Thrift Store

The Richmond Food Shelf and Thrift Store, located in the center of Richmond, serves the towns of Bolton, Huntington and Richmond. We are open 5 days a week and staffed by 20 plus volunteers and 2 part time paid employees. We serve between 60-90 families a month.

Our clients can shop twice a month and if more help is needed we provide an emergency box. Folks who do not live in our service area are given food, and then we help them find a food shelf in their area.

Although the physical space is small (8×15 ft) it is well organized and able to provide a full spectrum of nutritious food such as: eggs, cheese, refried beans and flour tortillas ( a meal right there!), frozen meat, oatmeal and Progresso soups. We try and stay away from sugar laden foods. The food shelf also gives, at each visit, a coupon for a gallon of milk at the local market, a two minute walk from the food shelf. The milk is charged and the Richmond Food Shelf is invoiced monthly. We spend on average $2500. a month on food.

A grant from the Vermont Foodbank allowed us to purchase an additional refrigerator which increased our ability to stock a greater quantity of fresh produce. Fresh produce is always very much appreciated by our food shelf clientele. This is the first summer we have been able to house enough produce for all our clients!! As a board member, we have frequent discussion pertaining to the quality of the food we are supplying our clients.

We make a conscious decision about each product that is placed on our shelves. The grant from Vermont Foodbank directly improves the health of our community members!

We receive our produce from:

– community members “grow a row”
– our neighbor, NOFA, delivers produce from their backyard garden
– RFS purchases a CSA from a local farm in Huntington
– a farmer, in Richmond, donates produce that did not sell at the farmer’s market and any surplus crops from their garden
– RFS purchases produce from the local neighborhood market

The Vermont Foodbank is a valuable resource for our food shelf, providing us with the education and support necessary in running all aspects of a food shelf. We are grateful to be a Network Partner!

Learn more about the Richmond Food Shelf on their website www.richmondfoodshelfvt.org or on Facebook!