Bountiful Baskets Food Co-op

Would you like to have access to a basket of affordable fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables every two weeks? The Healthy Altoona Partnership wants to bring a Bountiful Baskets Food Co-op distribution site to Altoona. We need your help to make this possible!!!

What is Bountiful Baskets?

• Bountiful Baskets is a not-for-profit food co-op for individuals & families that want to have more fresh produce for less money. They have basket pick up sites in 16 states including six sites in Iowa.
• Bountiful Baskets is not a business that you buy from, but rather a co-op where we all pool our money to buy things together.
• Bountiful Baskets Food Co-op is completely volunteer run.  Every site has been started by a volunteer who wanted Bountiful Baskets available in their community.

Basket Information

The Co-op offers a conventional produce basket every other week which is generally ½ fruit and ½ veggies. The monetary contribution is $20.00 ($10 more if you want organic) and is generally worth $50.00 retail. You place your order on-line the week before delivery and you ONLY ORDER WHEN YOU WANT (you are not committed to receiving a basket every two weeks).

They may have add-on items such as produce by the case (peaches, tomatoes, apples, etc.); bread products; ethnic/specialty produce packs (think Guacamole, Salsa, and things you dip in ranch!); pantry items (rice, beans, etc.) and decadent desserts.

Interested???  We have been in communication with the Bountiful Basket program and they are excited to have us open a site in Altoona (the site can be accessed by surrounding towns as well). To be considered as a site we have three fairly simple tasks:

1. Identify a building to serve as the distribution site (3-4 hours every other Saturday). The Partnership is already working on identifying a site but if you have ideas let us know!
2. Anyone interested should go to the Bountiful Baskets website http://www.bountifulbaskets.org and sign up so we can get an idea of how may in Altoona are interested.  (Ideally we would have 30-50 people sign up to show their support and for us to be considered as a designated site). It is FREE to sign-up and you are not committed to buying anything.
3. Volunteer site coordinators (ideally 4-6) for each co-op distribution. With enough volunteer coordinators each one would only have to take a Saturday every couple of months. General volunteers can just arrive an hour early at the pickup site and help unload the truck, sort and fill baskets!
4. Help us spread the word – please!!!!!!

This picture  is a real basket picked up by one of our Altoona residents from the Des Moines YGrubb Site and she had the opportunity to buy 5 artisan breads for $1.00.

Let us know your willingness to serve as a Site Coordinator, general volunteer or if you plan on participating bysigning-up!