NEWS

Groundworks Collaborative’s “Foodworks” food shelf program will reopen to in-person shopping on Monday, June 13th after over two years of curbside pickup and deliveries.  The program has been located at 141 Canal Street since September 2019, but had to quickly reorganize operations in March 2020 at the start of the COVID pandemic to ensure the safety of shoppers and staff alike. 

“We are excited about giving people the opportunity to choose their own groceries again,” said Andrew Courtney, Foodworks’ new director.  

Courtney began this new role in early-May after years-long Foodworks Coordinator Christine Colascione left the helm for other pursuits.  

“We welcome Andrew to the team and acknowledge all of the great work he has inspired since joining Groundworks,” said Executive Director Josh Davis.  “Andrew joins the organization with a broad range of operating experience in the realm of food. Most recently, as owner of a small market—specializing in fresh and nutritious foods—in San Diego.”

Davis adds, “We think in-person shopping will be a more efficient way to get food out to the community than our current style of service.” 

Shoppers will be welcomed during the same hours Foodworks had been keeping for curbside pickup, with the addition of two hours reserved for seniors only on Tuesdays.  

 

Beginning Monday, June 13, 2022, Foodworks will reopen for in-person shopping during the following hours:

Mondays 11am-4pm; Tuesdays 10am-noon (reserved for seniors only); Wednesdays 1pm-6pm; Fridays noon-4pm; and the last Saturday of each month from 9am-noon.

 

Community members will be welcome to access food and other household staples twice each month at 141 Canal Street in Brattleboro.  Masks will be required and staff will limit the number of shoppers in the building at a time. 

“A return to in-store shopping creates benefits including greater personal choice in food selection, opportunities for community building, and a much faster process than curbside pickup and delivery options,” reports Courtney. 

Foodworks is this region’s most heavily-utilized food shelf—the program served 1,351 area households last year.

In order to continue to meet the increased need for emergency food, Foodworks is distributing twice as much food as the program was pre-COVID. With so many people experiencing the long-term impacts of COVID and inflation, we expect this increased need to carry on for the foreseeable future. Anyone interested in making a donation to help Foodworks to continue to meet the increased need can do so at: https://groundworksvt.org/donate/ or by sending a check to Groundworks Collaborative, PO Box 370, Brattleboro, VT 05302.

To reach Foodworks directly—with questions about volunteering, food access, or if you need to schedule a delivery of food—please call: 802-490-2412 or email: Foodworks@GroundworksVT.org

Donations of non-expired and unopened food items (including extra garden produce) can be made to Foodworks Monday through Friday between 9am and 4pm at the rear door of 141 Canal Street. Foodworks staff appreciate a call ahead (802-490-2412) to let us know a donation is coming, as anything left unattended overnight or on the weekend is likely unsafe to distribute.  Weekend and evening donations are also welcome at Groundworks’ Drop-In Center at 54 South Main Street (802-257-5415).