What Makes Our Service Unique?

Food is basic to all our lives.  Access to food is not always easy, particularly later in life when health circumstances create barriers to getting to the store, navigating the aisles, carrying the groceries and unpacking them.  Store To Door is a non-profit service shopping for people over age 60 that are unable to get to the grocery store, shop for themselves and bring their items home.  While the end result is to provide groceries for homebound elderly, the personal service aspect sets Store To Door apart from a for-profit shopping and delivery service.

Quite often, at presentations, the question comes up: How much does it cost to shop for and deliver groceries using Store To Door?  Store To Door’s clients need a different level of service than other companies can provide.  Clients are called every other week, reached out to by a trained volunteer who places the order online with the client on the phone.  If there’s a question at the store, the shopper will call the client to clarify so the right item is purchased.  Clients receive their groceries from a trained and insured part-time staff delivery person who brings groceries into the kitchen and assists in unpacking and loosening lids as needed.  In 2012, the total cost to deliver one order is $42.62.  A portion of that cost per order is covered by the $3 to $15 delivery fee that clients pay on a sliding scale based on income.  The majority of clients (74%) are living well below the federal poverty level.  The request for a contribution toward the delivery fee is required by the State of Minnesota.  The majority of our service is supported with help from individual donors, corporate supporters like Cub Foods, foundations and the Metropolitan Area on Aging.  Cub Foods is a valued partner, providing competitive prices and significant financial support each year.

Store To Door strives to keep its costs down.  Over the years, generous community support and strong business practices have worked to do so.  Despite rising gas prices, insurance costs and supplies, Store To Door remains committed to serving homebound elderly adults with access to nutritious and affordable food.