Saying there is a way to save 50 percent on monthly grocery purchases sounds like an offer too good to be true.

Dave DeFor, pastor at Austin Church of Christ-Christian, said his offer is good and true.

The program is called “Fare For All,” an affordable program that has been helping families and individuals stretch their food budgets since 1986.

Austin Church of Christ-Christian, 103 Second St. S.W., is the local distribution site.

Participants can purchase nutritious food packages at affordable prices each month.

The food items come in baskets two-feet long, 14 inches wide and 10 inches tall.

The packages come from a food warehouse at New Hope operated by Emergency Foodshelf Network.

Austin Church of Christ-Christian has been distributing them for a year, according to DeFor.

“They’re for anybody. Individuals or families. The working or the retired. Anybody,” emphasized DeFor.

Participants can call the Austin Church of Christ (507) 433-2894 or 1-800-582042-91.

There is no income eligibility, but payment is requested in advance at the time an order is made.

A $2 delivery charge is applied to all local orders in addition to the food package purchase prices.

Also, participants are asked to contribute two-hours of community service each monthly in return for the food packages.

“Think about what this could mean,” DeFor said. “Large families can stretch their food dollars. That, in turn, allows them to spend their money on other necessities of life, such as a utility bill.”

“And,” he added, “people on fixed incomes will have the opportunity to eat nutritious meals ensuring their health.”

“Everybody wins with Fare For All,” he said.

The regular package costs $17 and includes four or more fresh vegetable items, two or more fresh fruit items and four or more frozen meats.

The light package includes one meat item and all the fruit and vegetable items of the regular package for $12.

There’s also a meat only package for $12 and a vegetarian package for $10.

In addition, there’s the family package for $20. It includes a variety of staple non-perishable food items, boxed dinners, cereals, rice and pasta.

There are also monthly specials such as the “Mega Meat package,” boasting a variety of frozen meat items.

“The food items are not designed to replace regular food purchases, but by supplementing them that should free-up more money for the household,” DeFor said.

The sad thing is: Fare For All is not being used as much as DeFor believes it could be used.

“We have a lot of people from our church who make orders — they’re all age groups, single individuals and families, but I know there are so many more people who could be taking advantage of the program,” he said.

The pastor said participants first need to decide to make Fare For All a part of their daily lives. “They have to decide to use the program. To actually take advantage of this,” he said.

“Then, they have to pay in advance. We can’t have the food packages sitting around the church or some of the frozen items will spoil,” he added.

“Then, they have to make a commitment to the two-hours of volunteer time each month,” he said. “They can drive people to church or the hospital, help a neighbor, do any number of things to make a better community.”

“Finally, all they have to do is pick up their food and tell somebody else how good a program it is,” DeFor said.

For more information, call DeFor at Austin Church of Christ 0 Christian or go online www.fareforall.org.