RSVP of the Upper Valley and White Mountains
Online Newsletter January 1996
SHARE is just one of the many organizations with which RSVP of the Upper Valley and White Mountains (VT/NH) works to get things done in the Upper Valley.
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program's services are free to the volunteers and organizations we serve.
RSVP home page to find out more about the benefits of being an RSVP volunteer, or how your non-profit organization can provide volunteer opportunities through RSVP, most anywhere in the United States.
SHARE: the Smart Way to Stretch Your Food Dollar
"If you eat, you qualify!"
- 2 hours of community service
- and
- $14.00 buys a package of meats, fresh vegetables, fruits and staple items, worth at least double that amount.
SHARE is for all of us.
SHARE is ...
- nationwide neighborhood based self-help food distribution and community building program with local affiliates.
- A network of churches, community centers, unions, and other groups serving as Host Organizations which are local community registration and distribution sites for food.
How Does SHARE Work?
- Sign up in advance, one month at a time, (so if you have a garden in the summer, or go away in the winter, that's ok -- sign up again when you're ready) at any Host Organization.
- Pay $14.50 in cash or food stamps for each food package.
- Volunteer 2 hours a month.
- Get a food package of at least 15 items: meats, fruits, vegetables, staples -- pasta, beans, rice -- and packaged food. The package is worth at least double the retail amount you pay.
Where Do I Work For Community Service?
- Work at the SHARE warehouse, or at your Host Organization, or elsewhere in the community.
- If you have a local Volunteer Center, or RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) they will also be able to give you ideas.
- SHARE is about self-help -- it is NOT A CHARITY, nor government aid. Your work is necessary.
- Call your Host Organization for details.
When and Where Do I Pick Up My SHARE Food?
- You will pick up your food at your local Host Organization.
- Food pick-up time and place will be provided when you register.
- It's up to you to be on time to pick up your food.
- You may arrange for someone to pick up your food for you.
Ideas for Community Service
- Community service is anything done for another without pay.
- To earn a SHARE, your 2 hours of community service can include:
- volunteering at a church or school
- volunteering at a local food pantry
- helping a sick neighbor
- helping with recycling
- making clothes for the homeless
- making telephone calls
- bagging food at a SHARE warehouse
- anything that makes your community a better place to live.
Sample SHARE Package:
(new items every month)
- 2 lbs. chicken thighs
- 1 lb. boneless sliced pork
- 1 lb. imitation crabmeat
- 4 lb. potatoes
- 2 lbs. onions
- 1 lb. carrots
- 1 bunch broccoli
- 1 lb. pasta
- 3 lbs. apples
- 5 bananas
- 5 pears
- 5 oranges
- 13 oz. bag granola cereal
- salad dressing
- 1 SHARE newspaper
Keeping our body and spirt fed -- Nourishment for all of us!
RSVP supports volunteers involved in the local SHARE program in Lebanon NH, and refers volunteers to SHARE. For information on where you can get your SHARE, or ideas for community service, send e-mail to: RSVP@valley.net. And please be sure to include enough information! -- As you may have noted, we work with our local SHARE, but we do have addresses for affiliates in the United States. -- We have received much email with no information about where folks are writing from! Please remember that electronic communication requires the same basic information that would be needed in a letter or telephone call!
Back to RSVP home page.
Reprinted with permission from the Lebanon NH Food Share pamphlet.