Neighbours across the city create mini-depots selling veggie boxes at wholesale prices

Once a month, Susan Gwynn turns her small northeast Calgary bungalow into a mini grocery store.

Boxes with apples, potatoes and even mangos get stacked up in her garage, and a small stream of Martindale neighbours pop by for their orders.

Because it's a fixed box and a bulk order, Gwynn and other customers say prices on the fresh produce come in at roughly half of what the big chain stores charge with no compromise on quality.

"I buy one box for my family and another one or two boxes for other community members who just can't afford it, to have fresh produce in their lives," Gwynn said.

"It makes them feel remembered."

Gwynn is not alone in this. She's a volunteer and her mini grocery store is run through Community Kitchens, which now has roughly 130 depots like this across the city. 

The Good Food Box program offers anyone on a tight budget the option of buying in for a cheaper meal. It's been flagged by multiple people as a solid option for families during CBC Calgary's focus on the increasing cost of food. 

It offers staple foods and can often be delivered for a small fee. The only downside, said community members participating through a CBC texting app, is that you can't pick what goes in the box and it might be too much food for a couple or individual.

Gwynn's 20-year-old daughter wanted to get involved, too.

"I think it's important for families to have lots of fresh vegetables and fruits," Hannah Gwynn said.

"Seeing the smiles and knowing the fridges are full and when they go to school, they are not hungry, it changes everything."

Hannah's boyfriend, Benton Deschamps, says volunteering makes him feel good.

"The stories you hear from people with experience in poverty, it inspires me to do more of it, volunteering, and to help out as much as I can," the 20-year-old said, adding there's also a practical side of the program for him.

"It's really nice to think of all the recipes you can make with what's in the box. It gets the creative juices flowing when you look at it."