The BMA grocery voucher program is a small lifeline for families who have no other place to turn.
This program would not be possible without the multi-year support of Mitzi Poulin at the Center Market, who has made monthly donations of vouchers to match the ones we purchase from her. Every year she is our single largest donor! Her “in-kind” gift vouchers were valued at over $30,000 in 2023 alone!
The Desert Pantry also has sold us discounted vouchers. It is our policy to use your donations for local families shopping at local businesses. This is why BMA encourages you to support local businesses whenever possible. The Desert Pantry facilities have been a backup for the food bank from its creation.
Managing a store in Borrego Springs has always been difficult. The tourism business is a notorious “boom and bust” cycle, leaving local families both happily employed for “the season” but also competing with tourists for costly local supplies. This is why our local food programs exist … our local businesses can only do so much to keep costs low during the off-season because they are very small and never qualify for volume discounts … plus, their energy and labor costs are high. We hope you will shop at local businesses whenever possible and please thank them for their financial support of many Borrego Springs non-profits like the Borrego Ministers Association (BMA).
The BMA voucher program was established by BMA founder Mike Himmerich, then Shirley Vialpando and has continued, carefully recorded and managed, by BMA volunteer Diana Fox at the Community Resource Center location on Wednesday afternoon each week.
