The Self Help and Resource Exchange (SHARE) program has been serving the Upper Peninsula for nineteen years. The nonprofit food-buying club began in California and the idea quickly migrated east, with regional sites being set up throughout the country.
The Wisconsin chapter in Milwaukee began twenty years ago. After moving the office from Milwaukee to Butler (Wisconsin), SHARE began providing service to the Upper Peninsula. U.P. cities served by the SHARE program include Baraga, Rock, Iron Mountain, Big Bay, Gwinn, Ishpeming, Ontonagon, Mass City, Menominee, Marquette and Michigamme. A new addition is planned for the Houghton-Hancock area this spring.
SHARE is open to everyone, regardless of age or income. The nonprofit food-buying club offers packages of the same food you would see on the shelves of your local grocery store, but at discounts of thirty to fifty percent. There are no membership fees, cheap prices and easy preparation make it ideal for anyone short on time or money.
The traditional package, which costs $18, has an assortment of meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, plus a different bonus item every month. It also is possible to order single select items, such as nine pounds of pepperoni pizza sticks for $9, three pounds of ribeye steaks for $14.50, thirty-six ounces of diced fruit for $3.30 and six ten-inch pies for $11.
“If you’ve got little kids, it’s much cheaper to order two pounds of chicken nuggets than to go to McDonalds,” said Maureen LaWent, Ishpeming site coordinator.
During the holiday season, SHARE goes a step further by offering dinner packages.
This year’s Easter package, also $20, is available to order until March 6. The package serves six and includes a six-pound boneless ham, broccoli with cheese sauce, pineapple, a fresh produce assortment, golden pound cake, frozen sliced strawberries and whipped topping.
Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners are available for $20. The Thanksgiving dinner includes a twelve-ounce premium turkey, stuffing mix, cranberry sauce, two cans of green vegetables, gourmet gravy mix, seasonal fruits and vegetables, two pie crusts and one can of pumpkin for pies—enough food for six people.
The prices stay low because of the many hours of work SHARE volunteers put into the program. A refrigerated truck brings the bulk food products from the warehouse in Wisconsin. When the food is delivered to the Upper Peninsula distribution sites, numerous volunteers arrive at 5:00 a.m. to help unload the truck, LaWent said. After unloading, inventory is checked. Once inventory is completed, the food is separated and packaged for each customer. Volunteers are around for the distribution of the packages and on hand to take orders for next month. The SHARE Times, a monthly newsletter that includes recipes, volunteer spotlight, grocery buying tips and a next month’s food package order form and distribution dates, is available for those who would like to order.
Exchanging resources is an important part of SHARE. Not only is the community invited to use their resources, members are encouraged to put time towards other social services. Although it is not mandatory to donate time, members are urged to volunteer for at least two hours a month. LaWent said all SHARE programs are community oriented.
“You could volunteer and do anything you’d like to do, as long as it makes your community a better place,” LaWent said. “We’re here in the community, and it’s not just to help certain people. Everyone can turn around and volunteer in their communities to make them good and strong.”
To order, visit www.sharewi.org to find an online menu and your nearest distribution site. After filling out your choices, call the site for instructions on how to place your order. The site coordinator can tell you specifics on order procedures and food distribution times.
However, lack of participation is threatening SHARE in many U.P. sites. The U.P. program has been running at a loss for quite some time, and with the ever-climbing gas prices, it’s getting harder and harder for the nonprofit group to break even.
“With the fuel prices higher for everybody, it makes it more challenging for this kind of organization to function in rural areas,” LaWent said. “Need is not something that can be confined to a metropolis—it’s out there. The idea is to keep this going because it is a benefit to the community.”
In order for the programs to survive, a ten percent handling fee is added to every order for transportation expense. At the current operating level of U.P. sites, this fee is not covering gasoline costs to transport the food. If the customer base increases, handling won’t be coming out of the pockets of volunteers, LaWent said.
Edna Hocking is the coordinator of the Gwinn site, the most successful in the U.P. She said the prosperity of her site, located at the Gwinn Clubhouse, is due to an excellent team of volunteers and a lot of advertising.
“We’ve got a good team that works hard,” Hocking said. “We also advertise that we have the SHARE program every month, putting in the times and dates of ordering and distribution. We do a lot of word-of-mouth and leave some of the menus around town, so when people go into these places they can see the menus. They’re curious about it, so they ask more questions.”
Hocking also said orders from the K.I. Sawyer community have increased SHARE sales.
The U.P. sites will run through June 2007, but whether the program continues depends on SHARE’s ability to increase their customer base. Rosie Loser, director of community leadership, said that the best way to promote SHARE services is through service to others.
“We have found that the best outreach is person-to-person, and to encourage people to help and become involved,” Loser said.
The flow of information coupled with outreach to the community is integral for the survival of such a program, she said.
“We hope to keep the program running,” LaWent said. “Anybody involved in nonprofit or social services knows there is a need in every community. A lot of people are two paychecks away from being homeless. There’s nothing wrong with a little cushioning.”
SHARE not only gives to the community through discounted food, but through other programs such as their community food drive, Valentines for Veterans and knitting and crocheting projects. Loser is responsible for the creation of the Valentines for Veterans program because she felt her brother, a Vietnam War veteran, never received the recognition he deserved.
“I know there are many vets out there who would just like a ‘thank you,’ and that is the goal,” Loser said.
For the knitting and crocheting project, SHARE supplies materials and volunteers weave everything from hats to robes and wheelchair bags. All items are donated.
Fifty cents is taken from every SHARE order and put in a pool for a yearly donation to a worthy cause. Every year Christmas packages are donated to families in need, and a large contribution is made to charitable organizations like St. Vincent De Paul, LaWent said.
SHARE volunteers themselves go above and beyond to serve their communities. Sylvia Zimmer, the November/ December Spirit of SHARE winner, has been working with the program for more than ten years and is the event planner, organizing such things as the SHARE kids holiday party and twentieth anniversary celebrations.
Casey Gill, the 2006 SHARE Volunteer of the Year, donated an entire warehouse to the organization. Gill moved SHARE from a small rental warehouse to an area where the business could expand and even construct office areas.
Others who don’t have much spare time help out in any way they can. Last Christmas, an anonymous SHARE customer bought five tickets for the SHARE Christmas raffle and decided to give away her winnings to a needy family. This woman’s actions fed another family for Christmas.
“Those sites that are the most successful have a very large team and have a family feel to them,” Loser said. “Everyone knows everyone else and they support and help each other.”
Although the future of the Upper Peninsula’s SHARE program may seem grim, LaWent is thinking positively about increasing awareness of the program.
“We are ninety-five percent sure we can continue through 2007,” LaWent said. “It’s a question of exposure. You want these programs out there.”
If you are interested in SHARE’s food service or would like to volunteer, you can find the nearest distribution area by visiting www.sharewi.org
Orders for April pick-up are being taken until March 6.
MM

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