ACBC Starts Outdoor Food Locker Program

The snow had barely melted this spring, and work was underway for the installation of
the new Outdoor Temperature Refrigerated Food Lockers at ACBC Food Shelf.

After more than a year of planning and preparation, the newest program launched at the
Anoka nonprofit – with the goal of providing more community members with access to a
variety of healthy food.

The idea of adding food locker pick up to ACBC programs came as a result of annual
participant surveys. “One of the barriers our neighbors expressed experiencing was the
option to have more flexible, evening, and weekend access – especially for households
who face various barriers when seeking assistance,” ACBC CEO Stephanie Lehman
said.

With the outdoor food locker pick up as an alternative to a monthly in-person food shelf
appointment, it makes it easier for people to find food support while still being able to
self-select their own food. Participants choose their food items through an online
ordering system and ACBC staff/volunteers pack and stock the lockers for pick up.

“Almost daily we hear from people who are in need of food, but can’t visit us because of
work schedules, transportation issues or other barriers to getting or keeping an
appointment,” ACBC Board President Denise DeMars said. “This is a chance for us to
meet them on their time and increase the number of families we can help.”

Generous funders such as the Affinity Plus Foundation, Second Harvest Heartland,
Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) and Church of St. Timothy helped
launch the project – which opened to participants at the end of April.

“Food security is a critical piece of financial well-being. The Affinity Plus Foundation’s
investment in ACBC’s food lockers supports our vision of bringing financial health to
every community we serve by helping ensure individuals and families have access to
essential resources when they need them most, so they can focus on their goals,”
Jacquelyn Twedt, Board Chair of the Affinity Plus Foundation, shared.

“ACBC is excited to be able to create additional opportunities for our community to
access food – especially people facing barriers making it hard for them to visit. We’re
grateful to the partnerships that not only made it possible to have this innovative
program but will also allow us to build capacity by an additional 30%,” Lehman shared,
stating “the lockers will move us in the direction of helping more people experiencing
food insecurity.”

To learn more about how to sign up for the new program, visit: acbcfoodshelf.com/food-shelf-market/