A Monthly Reflection from BrightSide’s Executive Director, Justa Heinen-Kay
Going that extra mile, literally, to deliver fresh produce to our stakeholders is part of what provides value to BrightSide’s services and sets us apart from other social services. We make it convenient for communities to access fresh produce, whether they are shopping at the local corner store or they need it delivered right to their doorstep.
So does delivery really mean for the folks who receive our deliveries?
Corner Stores
For our Healthy Corner Store program, delivery means small business owners don’t have to spend precious hours running around to source small quantities of produce to resell. Just like the other products in their store, fresh fruits and vegetables get delivered right to the store every week. This lets store managers stay where their attention is needed most: with their communities. BrightSide was founded to meet this exact need for corner stores. No other delivery service allows small businesses to purchase small quantities of produce at near-wholesale prices, with no additional delivery fee. This ensures that fresh fruit and vegetables remain available and affordable in small neighborhood stores, particularly in food deserts.
Home Deliveries
For our Pay What You Can and Food as Medicine clients, we deliver fresh produce directly to their doorsteps. This means no navigating public transportation or hectic work hours to get healthy food on the table. Real fruits and vegetables are delivered on a predictable, reliable schedule every single week. No waiting in lines, no finding the right store that will accept your voucher.
A recent University of St. Thomas study confirmed the critical importance of delivery. 80% of respondents reported that they preferred having produce delivered directly to their homes rather than picking it up elsewhere–even if they could receive a larger quantity through a pickup model. Delivery is that critical to families BrightSide serves.
This preference makes sense. Convenience isn't just a luxury for some families, it can mean the difference between having access to healthy food or not.
Delivery is part of our mission, not an add-on.
When people talk about innovation in food access, the conversation often jumps straight to what food is available. But how that food gets to people matters just as much. Removing the last-mile barrier, like the bus transfer, the lunch-break run or the just-missed food shelf hours, can be what determines whether healthy food actually makes it to a family’s dinner table.