Goodness Greeness makes giving a priority
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| From left, employees Joe Calva, Harry Canon, Eduardo Hernandez and Salvador Castro staff the warehouse at Goodness Greeness, an Englewood organic produce distributor that has donated mountains of fresh fruits and vegetables to the Food Depository since the early 1990s. |
Bob Scaman, president of South Side organic produce distributor Goodness Greeness, is only too happy to donate excess supply to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
"When you give to the Food Depository, you know it's ending up at the right place with the right intentions," he said. "That gives me peace of mind."
Shortly after it was founded in 1991, Goodness Greeness began partnering with the Food Depository to get its farm-fresh produce to Chicago food pantries in need of fruits and vegetables. The produce is also used to stock the Food Depository's two Producemobiles which distribute food to low-income neighborhoods in Cook County year-round. Produce accounted for 25 percent of the Food Depository's total food distribution last year.
"Goodness Greeness is one of our standout partners in the produce industry," said Tom Hayes, director of food resources at the Food Depository. "It's because of food donors like Goodness Greeness that fresh produce is available to hungry men, women and children at locations throughout our community."
Since July 1, Goodness Greeness, a leading Midwestern source for fresh, organic produce, has donated 161,244 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to the Food Depository. Bob, who estimates that 40,000 pounds of produce are left over each week, says the partnership is a win-win for both sides.
"We're accountable to growers and our certified-organic handler as to where all the boxes [of produce] go," he said.
The partnership is also a good fit since both the Food Depository and Goodness Greeness are growing at the same time. Bob says the organic industry is growing "astronomically," and estimates that his business doubles every three years.
Each day, the Goodness Greeness warehouse in Englewood is stocked with thousands of boxes of organic produce from growers in the Southeast and on the West Coast, and during the off-season, as far away as countries like Argentina. During the four-month window of warm weather, the company purchases produce locally.
Retailers like Whole Foods, Jewel and Trader Joe's purchase the majority of organic fruits and vegetables, selecting the cream of the crop for their shelves. "Our product is expected to be a cut above," said Bob. "That's why they [retailers] are able to command the prices they do."
Getting produce into Chicago neighborhoods while it is still fresh requires close daily coordination between Goodness Greeness and the Food Depository. The Food Depository picks up the produce and stores it in its warehouse before quickly turning it over to a pantry or loading it onto a Producemobile.
"We're able to pick up produce donations in temperature-controlled trucks and keep the items refrigerated throughout the entire distribution process," Tom said. "We handle donations with the utmost care to ensure that nutritious food is available for everyone."
Past articles
Dave Craig collects cosmetically imperfect food products at his Target store and donates them to the Food Depository
Target Store Team Leader Dave Craig has made a significant contribution to the fight against hunger since his introduction to the Food Depository last summer.
“I was blown away by what the Food Depository does,” said Dave after a visit to the 268,000 square-foot food bank and training center on the Southwest Side.
Rather than disposing of food items with cosmetic imperfections, Dave and his staff began collecting products at the South Loop Target and donating them to the Food Depository. Dave also organized a team-building volunteer session at the Food Depository and utilized space at the food bank for a district meeting. The Broadview SuperTarget began donating items to the Food Depository, and the partnership continues to expand throughout the area. Dave’s local efforts gathered momentum just as Target directed stores nationally to donate salvage products to local food banks through America’s Second Harvest, the nation’s network of food banks.
“This is an example of one person making a difference in his workplace,” the Food Depository's Keith Rosenthal said. “Dave has gone above and beyond in his support of the Food Depository.”
