WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather, and Sports |Organization buys groceries in bulk to save families money

Organization buys groceries in bulk to save families money

Nutritious and healthy meals for cheap; that's the goal of one Mid-State organization that shops in bulk to help families and individuals save big on their grocery bills.

Angel Food Ministries operates in 39 states, including in Tennessee.

Once a month, dozens of volunteers spend part of their Saturday arranging a grocery store similar to a co-op.

"The more people who order, the better deals they can get," explained Renee Casey, one of the onsite coordinators.  "You get a main box of food for $30 and it's valued at $60 or $70, so it's a huge savings for all individuals."

Angel Food Ministries provides food for anywhere from 150 to 200 people and families every month.

The food Casey and the volunteers box up is shipped in fresh every morning when they distribute and includes every food group.

Casey said, "With these groceries they can still afford to feed the kids or feed the family decent meals and not feel like they're doing without."

For $30, the baskets are filled with items like steak, chicken, rice, eggs, milk and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Ayodele Dosunmu orders food from the service.

She told News 2, "If you can't make it to the big stores to do anything, you can still have enough to eat and I have three kids and a husband, so it comes a long way."

Volunteers have been serving up healthy meals in Franklin for over two years.

Casey said the down economy has affected their orders.

"We have unemployed people ordering and then we have people that at one time made a couple hundred thousand dollars and they order with us because they appreciate the value," she said.

For many, Casey said this is the only affordable way to eat healthy.

"Now people are saying we need these groceries, we appreciate these groceries," she said.

To get involved or for more information, visit AngelFoodMinistries.com or BigCaseyFamily.com.