We've gone and completed our first shop! We swung by Gilmours to pick up as much bulk staples as we could, then proceeded to Pak'nSave for the remainder. While we'd like to grab bulk items where possible, we also want to minimise the amount of handling that is needed if we are delivering to a household. Flour and rice are quick and safe to split into smaller containers; peanut butter less so.

The other concern we had was being able to respond, if necessary, to a household's need in the next few weeks. To do that we need as wide a range of supplies as we can manage, rather than, say, 50 cans of baked beans in one shop, 200 rolls of toilet paper in another. Our purchasing will move from tactical to strategic as we establish a diversified base of essentials we can provide.

The other major purchase was transparent bins to make storage easier and safer. Each one costs about $20 but it's absolutely worth it. Eventually I hope to get some shelves to supplement these for easy access.

I've created a spreadsheet of our current stock items for members to peruse; we'll do our best to keep it up to date and accurate as we proceed.

Big thanks to Imogen and Harleen for the company and the vehicular assistance!

-d 💕