Food Rescue with Keystone Community Services
The co-op partners with local food shelf Keystone Community Services and local fresh distributor Albert’s to rescue additional food going to waste while supporting community members in need. Keystone and the community members they serve are often looking for fresh fruit, vegetables and meat or dietary and culturally specific items they don’t always have access to through the food bank system. This food rescue program is designed to fill this gap with fresh donations while also rescuing thousands of pounds of food from going to waste. A win for the environment and our community!
How It Works
- Each week, Albert’s sends a list of fresh items they have a surplus of, or that might be dating out in the next 10 days.
- Our partners at Keystone’s food shelf review the list and select the items needed by their community.
- Mississippi Market helps cover the costs associated with transporting and pays a small fee per case of fresh food.
- Albert’s delivers the items to our West 7th store, and Keystone picks up the items to distribute at their food shelves.
Fresh items donated to date:
- Chicken sausage
- Oat milk beverages
- Chicken breasts, drumsticks, wings, thighs
- Corn tortillas
- Tangelos
- Mango fruit smoothies
- Celery
- Salad and spinach mixes
- Eggs
- Milk
- Cheese
- Turkey bacon
- Bacon
Food Donation Bins
Mississippi Market collects food donations to support food shelf clients of Hallie Q. Brown Community Center and Merrick Community Services year-round. We collect donations from our shoppers and save up surplus food items from all of our three stores.
In 2020, we donated 24,186 pounds of food.
In 2021, we donated 33,928 pounds of food.
In 2022, we donated 32,141 pounds of food.
You are welcome to bring in food donations from home or purchase items to donate while shopping at the co-op. Look for the food donation bins near the cash registers to place your donations.