For longtime Rush City resident Margaret Mold, volunteering has always been about people.
Whether reading with elementary students, serving her church, or helping neighbors through community organizations, Margaret has spent decades finding ways to give back. Now, she’s helping neighbors connect and bring affordable food to our area every month through Fare For All, a program of The Food Group.
Rush City Public Schools partners with Fare For All to host the program locally, helping bring affordable, nutritious food options to residents of Rush City and surrounding communities. Fare For All is a pop-up grocery program offering fresh produce, frozen meat, and specialty food packages at budget-friendly prices. Everyone is welcome to shop, and no registration or pre-ordering is required.
For Margaret, the program was a natural fit.
“I like food, and I like helping people,” she said with a laugh. “So I came, and I liked what I saw.”
More than a year later, she continues to volunteer at each distribution, greeting familiar faces and helping organize food for local residents.
As a member of a third-generation farm family, Margaret seems to know nearly everyone who walks through the door.
“Either I went to school with them, or they were a teacher, or a friend,” she said. “Some of them are related.”
Since Rush City no longer has a local grocery store, Margaret sees Fare For All as an important resource and a great way for neighbors to connect.
“It’s kind of like a little community group from the olden days,” she said. “People look forward to seeing each other.”
That sense of community is exactly what Rush City Public Schools hopes to foster through its partnership with Fare For All. The program provides access to affordable food while creating opportunities for students, staff, and community members to work alongside one another. Margaret especially enjoys seeing local students volunteer.
“I think it’s pretty cool that the students are helping out, meeting people and helping the elderly,” she said. “The elderly people appreciate that.”
Margaret practices what she preaches. An avid cook, she enjoys turning each Fare For All box into a new culinary challenge. The selection changes, so she looks for recipes and finds creative ways to use whatever comes home.
“It’s like a surprise box,” she said. “How are you going to make it?”
For Margaret, working with Fare For All is a great way to do what she has been doing her entire life: helping people and strengthening the community she calls home. And, at their August meeting, the Rush City School Board honored Margaret with the Community & School Recognition for providing a wonderful example of what can happen when a school district, community organization, and local residents work together to meet a community need.
Fare For All is held on one Friday a month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rush City High School, with sales coming up on Sept. 11, Oct. 16, Nov. 13, and Dec. 11. The program is open to everyone, with no pre-registration required. Food packages typically range from $10 to $35, and payment is accepted by cash, credit, debit, or EBT.
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