The Market | Nourishing our Community

The Market at Bluffton Self Help, is a wellness food pantry that provides healthy, nutritious groceries once a week to our neighbors, allowing them to stretch their budget while promoting a healthy life and providing the fuel to succeed. Neighbors receive hygiene items, cleaning supplies, diapers, and clothing through The Market.

In 2022, The Market was a source of groceries and nutrition for 858 households who received 431,428 pounds of fresh food including milk, eggs, cheese, meat, produce, bread, and non-perishables, saving them $100 per week on average. 30% of these families shopped at The Market for the first time in 2022. This increase is directly correlated to inflation, the rise in housing costs, fuel, and grocery prices. Many of these families are one flat tire away from crisis, from losing everything.

The Market is often a neighbor’s first request for help at Bluffton Self Help. When someone comes to us in crisis, we know three to five other issues are most likely impacting their household. By taking a holistic approach to how we serve, we are able to determine what other services we can offer to move our neighbors to self-sufficiency. Once their basic needs are met, we can work alongside them on setting and reaching their personal goals through our education, training, and career readiness programs. If Bluffton Self Help does not provide the right tools or services, we will connect them to the community resource that will help pave the path to personal success, making them more confident at home, at work, and in the community.

“It is hard to ask for help but I know I have to be able to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads. The staff and volunteers at Bluffton Self Help always put a smile on my face and when I walk around The Market I feel just like I am at the grocery store. The only difference is I am not having to count every penny before I cash out. They always have my kids’ favorites, Cheerios and fresh fruit. When I get home and fill the fridge my kids have no idea it came from a food pantry. I am so grateful knowing I will have a meal on the table for my kids every day. Thank you.”

The Market at Bluffton Self Help strives to provide a dignified shopping experience for our neighbors by providing healthy choices in a market setting. We depend on community donations to provide all our non-perishable food items and funds to purchase milk, meat, produce, and eggs. This month we are celebrating Heart Healthy month at The Market because we know that eating healthy means more than a healthy heart, it means less time at the doctor and more time with family, it means stability, and it helps pave the path for neighbors to not only survive but to thrive.

Please consider helping our neighbors be heart healthy this month and all year long but donating some heart healthy non-perishable items, fresh produce, milk, eggs, or your favorite food.