Cooperative Offers Food Discounts For Volunteers

BOSTON -- A local organization is lending a helping hand to families -- from those in need to those looking for a bargain, but there is a catch.

NewsCenter 5's Pam Cross reported that in order to get a dinner table deal, you have to give a little bit of yourself.

Serve New England is a cooperative that's run by 15,000 volunteers across New England. Anyone can shop there.

"The products are amazingly good," said Roberta Hafferty, of North Easton. "I usually use part of what I purchase, and the rest I like to donate."

To qualify all you have to do is volunteer two hours a month.

"Two hours of community service, and you can buy as much food as you need. That's all we ask for," said Ann Adams, of Serve New England. "Community service is anything that you do to help anybody that you don't get rewarded for."

"No, it's not a lot of time, but it really does help. They volunteer for any organization or any group that they want to volunteer for, and then Serve Now allows them to buy the food," Board Member Howard Davis said.

Lisa Pernock has been volunteering at the cooperative for 10 years. She said that she makes fewer trips to regular supermarkets.

"I probably just pick up milk and orange juice or bread," she said.

Salisbury steak, meatballs, ground beef, chicken pot pie, carrots, potatoes, onions, marinara, and five kinds of fruit cost $40.28 at a local market but only $22 at Serve New England.

"The quality is better than most. The fruits, the vegetables, the meats -- everything is top quality," Davis said.

"We feel we're New England's best-kept secret," Pernock said.