This past fall, the Saint Mary’s Twin Cities Campus in partnership with Sisters’ Camelot has launched a new monthly volunteer opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to sort, pack and distribute fresh fruits, vegetables, and other specialty items to anyone in the Twin Cities at the University Center. Sisters’ Camelot, a Minneapolis non-profit organization, is dedicated to rescuing food, raising awareness about food justice, and sharing free healthy food in the community.
“Volunteering with Sister’s Camelot is very rewarding,” says Gena Bilden, Director of Campus Operations at the Twin Cities. “Knowing that I am helping bring fresh whole and organic foods to our Phillip’s Neighbors is important to me. Often, food shelves receive shelf stable processed foods which serves its purpose, but adding fresh whole and organic foods to diet, helps elevate health in so many ways. I’ve very much enjoyed the staff and volunteers I’ve worked with in sharing good food with our community.”
Sisters’ Camelot has been sharing free organic, non-GMO, and locally grown produce in the Twin Cities since 1997. Each week they pick up 6-8000 pounds of fresh unsold produce from organic distribution warehouses, and share it for free in collaboration with diverse community centers in the Twin Cities. Once the food is distributed all leftover, cardboard boxes are recycled and overripe produce is composted, with minimal waste going into the waste stream.
The next volunteer opportunity at Saint Mary’s will be on January 23rd, at 12:30pm. The event takes place at the University Center, on 26th Street. If interested in volunteering contact: nerickso@smumn.edu. Other dates for the food distribution will be February 27, March 26, April 23, May 28, and June 25.
