Food For All Program

In January 2009, Common Ground launched Food For All, a comprehensive program aimed at making the Co-op affordable to everyone in our community. We lowered the prices of pantry staple items, created discount and equity grant programs, developed affordable recipes, and began offering "Eating Healthy on a Budget," a free monthly class that teaches participants how to stretch their food dollars at the Co-op. Read below for more details on the five features of Food For All.

1. The Food for All Discount Program: A 5% discount on all groceries for anyone who:
*qualifies for food stamps
*is unable to work due to illness or injury or has an adult member of their household who cannot work due to injury or illness
*has had some other sort of fiscal crisis (unemployed for 3 months or more, etc)

Applications for the Discount Program are available at Common Ground. We will contact all applicants within one week. If approved, the 5% discount is immediately added to the owner's account. Owners may reapply every 6 months, or as needed, for the 5% discount. This program is available to owners only; if you need financial assistance joining the Co-op, please see below.

2) Food for All Equity Grant: Common Ground already offers an affordable payment plan for obtaining a $60 equity share--owners pay $10 a month for six months--however, in some cases, this still isn't enough. In order to make ownership a possibility for everyone in our community, the Co-op provides equity grants for either $30 or $60. These scholarships are available to individuals who truly cannot afford to pay for an equity share. Forms are available in the store and on our website.

3) Food for All Pantry Staples: Food prices are constantly rising, but Common Ground's grocery team is working hard to ensure that basic, healthy food is available to everyone. We've permanently lowered the prices on pantry 'Staples', such as milk, eggs, bulk beans, bulk rice, bread, carrots, onions, and more! Each item is marked in the store with a red Food For All tag.

4) Food for All Recipe Cards: Sometimes staying within your food budget is just a matter of finding affordable recipes and cooking them from scratch. Let your Co-op help! Food For All recipes use basic and bulk ingredients to serve a family of four for less than $2 a serving.You'd be amazed how many healthy meals can be made! Look for these recipes at the back of the store in the bulk section!

5) Food for All "Eating Healthy on a Budget" Classes: Learn cooking techniques, tips, and time-savers to feed your family for less! Take a tour of the Co-op aisles and learn how to make every dollar count. Participants will receive recipes for dozens of meals that you can cook for just $1.25-$2.00 per serving!