BCF INVITES COMMUNITY TO EAT WELL, DO GOOD AND PUT MORE PRODUCE IN PANTRIES

Media Contact:

Susan Matheny

Program Director

Berrien Community Foundation

269-983-3304

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

SAINT JOSEPH, MI — Berrien Community Foundation, in partnership with the Nutrition Exchange of Southwest Michigan, is rolling out something fresh — and it’s good in every sense of the word.

The For Good Produce Project is a CSA‑style (Community Supported Agriculture) fundraiser that helps families fill their refrigerators with farm‑fresh produce while helping food pantries do the same as they serve people in need. The idea is simple (and tasty): eat well, give well.

Subscribers receive 11 produce boxes over five months, each filled with fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers. Pickups happen every other Wednesday starting June 3, making it easy to build fresh food into the week ahead. Even better, 70% of proceeds go directly toward supplying Berrien County food pantries with fresh produce, supporting neighbors facing food insecurity while strengthening the local agricultural economy.

Why produce? Because food is powerful stuff. An estimated 85% of healthcare spending goes toward managing diet‑based diseases, making access to fresh, nutritious food more important than ever. The For Good Produce Project takes a hands‑on, hopeful approach to that challenge — one produce box at a time.

“This is the kind of idea that makes you want to say, ‘Yes — let’s do that,’” said Lisa Cripps‑Downey, president of Berrien Community Foundation. “It’s a really easy, really enjoyable way for people to come together to support local farmers and food pantries, and we think the community is going to have fun being part of it.”

Here’s how it works: Participants purchase a subscription by May 27. Produce boxes will be picked up every other Wednesday through mid-October. The first pickup takes place on June 3, just as the season’s fresh produce hits its stride. For specific pickup dates, visit www.berriencommunity.org/ProduceBox.

Pickup locations are chosen for convenience. Subscribers select one location at checkout for all pickups. Pickup sites are as follows:

• Benton Harbor/St. Joseph YMCA – 2-6 p.m.

3665 Hollywood Rd., St. Joseph

• Niles YMCA – 2-6 p.m.

905 North Front St., Niles

• Berrien Community Foundation – 12-5 p.m.

211 Hilltop Ave., St. Joseph

• Meals on Wheels – 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

1708 Colfax Ave., Benton Harbor

Three subscription sizes are available to fit households of all shapes and appetites. A small produce box feeds 1–2 people for $275 for the season. A medium box feeds 3–4 people for $550. A large box feeds 5 or more people for $825.

Ordering is easy. Community members can order online at www.berriencommunity.org/ProduceBox through May 27.

With its simple promise to eat well, give well, the For Good Produce Project shows that doing good can be practical, delicious and meant to be shared — bringing fresh food, stronger farms and healthier communities together in one box.