A Polk County organization dedicated to helping senior citizens has come up with a new way of making sure seniors get the food they need.

  • Elder Point Ministries is making fresh food more affordable
  • Ministry caters to elderly community

Elder Point Ministries dropped its nearly decade old food pantry program in favor of mobile produce markets.

Director Jane Hammond believes the nutritional value of the non-perishable food they previously bought could have been better. Now, Elder Point buys fresh produce in bulk at a wholesale market in Plant City and sells the food at 10 weekly locations throughout Polk -- including the clubhouse at the Woodbrook Mobile Home Park in Lakeland every Tuesday morning.

Volunteers from the park help run the market, and residents don’t have to be needy to buy the food.

“There are no forms to fill out," said Hammond. "There is nothing to identify you as someone who needs more or less help."

Some residents said they pay extra for the produce to make sure the market is always there for their neighbors.  

“I mean, if produce is $5 for us, we will give back another $5 or whatever we have,” said park resident Shi Cheverie.

Resident Jean Lesha volunteers at the market and said she buys produce she would pass up at a supermarket because of the higher cost.  

“Yes, I buy things that I wouldn’t bother [with],” said Lesha.