LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — A typical Monday for the Food Dignity Movement begins with a big delivery of fresh fruit and vegetables to the New Roots Recovery Support Center in Wilkes-Barre, one of the nonprofit's community partners.
"Pretty much every week we are here, getting in our produce and sending it out," said Amanda Gordineer, director of food equity. "We are a nonprofit organization that locally works to connect our small local farmers with small nonprofit organizations and those in need in our community."
This shipment was primarily fulfilled by local farms.
"It's incredibly important for us to be supporting local farmers. We really want to make sure that we keep them where they are so they can grow the food that we all need to live healthy lives," Gordineer said. "(Along with) some out-of-season things and things we can't get in Pennsylvania, like oranges and bananas, just to have a little bit more variety, and especially a little bit easier to eat because for those who might not be able to chew as easily."
Once the truck from a local farm is unloaded into the kitchen, it's time to get the lists out and start dividing it up for area resource centers, hoping this produce gets to those in need by being available where people are already going for help.
"If we can get food to where people are going, it decreases a barrier of transportation and really kind of makes it a one-stop shop to receive your services and get some healthy fruits and vegetables."
While some nonprofits send someone to pick up their produce, others get deliveries from the Food Dignity van, where it's refrigerated until delivery time.
Any extra food goes to one of the Food Dignity pay-what-you-can farm stands held throughout the area.