NEWS RELEASE

Harvest Food & Outreach Center recently announced the launch of a free membership campaign to assist low-income families with getting the most out of their grocery budget through its Cost Share Grocery Program.

Membership applications are available online at harvestfoodoutreach.org (click Programs/Cost Share Grocery) or at one of the organization’s two Cost Share Grocery Program Neighborhood Centers, which are located at 1360 28th Street (off US 1, south of Aviation Blvd.) and 1050 Old Dixie Hwy. (one block south of Oslo Road). For a limited time, new members can receive $10 off groceries on their first shopping visit.

Here’s how it works: Harvest buys groceries in bulk and receives donations from major grocery chains. Members can select from name brand groceries and pay a share of the cost to put the groceries on the shelves. The Neighborhood Centers are set up like a conventional grocery store where shoppers selected brand name food at an average savings of 50-75% compared to traditional grocery stores.

Harvest Food & Outreach Center, founded in 2003 by Austin and Ginny Hunt in Indian River County, provides a holistic, multi-component approach that provides a hand up to those living at or under the 200% federal poverty level. Harvest’s mission is to assist those living in poverty to achieve economic self-sufficiency through resource development, resource protection, and resource connection. Harvest’s unique model offers a comprehensive three-tiered approach to lifting people out of poverty through: 1) a Hunger Relief Program that includes an Emergency Food Box and Cost Share Grocery Program, 2) a Crisis Center that stabilizes people in crisis through counseling and active referrals to services, and 3) Education and Employment Opportunity Programs that addresses the source of the problem and provides long term solutions for those in need toward self sufficiency. For more information about Harvest’s programs, volunteer opportunities or how to make a donation visit www.harvestfoodoutreach.org.