Every December for the past 16 years, Hunger Mountain Co-op has supported local organizations and area schools by donating grocery bags filled with nutritious food.

To fill the Holiday Grocery Bags with high-need, healthy staples, the Co-op collaborates with Northfield Savings Bank, Co-op members, shoppers and vendors, including Cabot Cooperative Creamery, Albert’s Organics, Vermont Coffee Company, Sunrise Orchards and La Panciata Bakery. Through these partnerships, the Co-op sources high quality, nutritious products, including organic peanut butter, local apples, and freshly baked bread, to fill 650 grocery bags. The retail value of each Holiday Grocery Bag is over $30.

In mid-December, volunteers and Co-op staff will gather at the Vermont Foodbank’s warehouse in Barre to assemble this year’s bags. Six local organizations and five area schools, including Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, Family Center of Washington County, Montpelier Food Pantry, Montpelier Senior Activity Center, Downstreet Housing & Community Development, and Good Beginnings of Central Vermont, Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools (Union Elementary, Main Street Middle School and Montpelier High School), Barre City Elementary, and Barre Town School will pick up the packed bags for direct distribution to their clients, students, and families.

When you shop at Hunger Mountain Co-op now through December 29, you can choose to Give Change by rounding up your total to the nearest dollar. If you would like to opt-in to being asked at the register to round up your purchase to the next dollar, click here. All of the change collected at the register in November and December will be used to purchase healthy pantry staples to fill this year’s Holiday Grocery Bags. Co-op members interested in volunteering to pack grocery bags can email [email protected] or call (802) 262-3242.

You can also help a neighbor in need year-round just by remembering your bags! For every reusable bag that you use, the Co-op will donate five cents to the Montpelier Food Pantry. Over the past three years, Hunger Mountain Co-op shoppers have collectively raised nearly $33,000 for our local food pantry.