In college, Shawna worked at a cooperative-style grocery store, where customers received free groceries in exchange for working a shift stocking shelves or assisting customers. She was drawn to the dignified model that made food accessible and reduced the difference between who needed food help and who could afford to pay full price. That philosophy – being innovative, respectful, non-judgemental – is also why Shawna was quick to admire Open Cupboard and its Today’s Harvest. That and the fact that it’s stocked exclusively with rescued and donated products.
“I was actually really excited to shop for the first time,” Shawna explained. “Part of my excitement was because I heard Today’s Harvest described as ‘a nonprofit committed to reducing food waste.’ Taking all of the prepared foods from these other grocery stories – from Jerry’s, Kowalski’s, Lund’s and Byerly’s – and putting them in one place where they have to be consumed that day or the next day? That’s brilliant. I love the idea of reducing food waste.”
Today’s Harvest free, fresh markets are stocked exclusively with rescued and donated food items, products that need a home as much as a home might need them. In a given month, more than 20,000 pounds of food is rescued from a network of 24 grocery and convenience store partners, 85% of which is fresh and perishable. But this innovative model isn’t the only reason Shawna would shop often.
“For a while, it was their twice-weekly routine: Pick the boys up from daycare and swing through Today’s Harvest,” Shawna shared. “The boys loved it. We built relationships with the volunteers. With Rafa and Tuna. It was part of our routine, part of our lifestyle. We felt really welcomed.”
Their family appreciates the focus on fresh: Potatoes, onions and carrots. We always need those. Greens, maybe a big bag of kale. Apples, too. I eat an apple every day for breakfast.” Plus anything that makes parenting toddlers easier, like the little yogurts or pouches. Or bags of chopped vegetables to prepare a quick, healthy stir fry.
“I grew up having an undignified experience around receiving benefits or shopping at a food shelf. There wasn’t the level of shopper respect. I see where stigma comes from. Fortunately, we live in the Twin Cities in 2025. There are so many resources here. And there is Open Cupboard and Today’s Harvest.”
Despite familiarity with benefits and food help as a kid and having worked in an equitable grocery store, Shawna and her family were new to seeking out a free, fresh grocery store back in 2021. For their family, it was a lot of unexpected and difficult change: Her husband lost his job early in the pandemic, along with the family’s health insurance. Their newborn son had a respiratory condition but couldn’t receive care because of hospital demand and clinic closures. She was working full-time so they moved in with their in-laws for help while paying rent elsewhere.
“It was a lot of change all at once,” shared Shawna. “We gotta do what we gotta do. We saw it as a temporary situation. Let’s see what we can do. We went on a spending freeze. Medical Assistance helped. WIC helped. And WIC is how I heard about Open Cupboard. Today’s Harvest helped us cut our grocery bill and provide much of the fresh food we couldn’t get at Aldi.”
Today, Shawna is working full-time with benefits. Her husband works part time and cares for their three kids when they aren’t in daycare or with other caregivers. Their spending freeze has loosened a bit, so their visits to Today’s Harvest have scaled back to once or twice a month.
“Seeking benefits was new for us. But there was no hesitation. I grew up poor and on benefits. But I went to college and got a Master’s degree and, praise God, have been pretty successful. I haven’t needed to be ‘in the system.’ Thankfully we’re not stuck in poverty, but we make too much to qualify for benefits now, but not enough to comfortably shop for a family of five.”
Not only did all of this change introduce Shawna to Today’s Harvest, but it enabled a significant career pivot for her husband, a psychotherapist by trade. When everyone was online and at home early in the pandemic, and he was laid off work because of it, they used the season of change to launch a virtual counseling business, providing faith-based mental health care to individuals and groups.
“Because benefits and resources like Today’s Harvest were available, we had a safety net during our time of challenge and changes. And because of that support, we were able to create something that’s supporting other people,” Shawna concluded.