In 2025, Fresh! by Gleaners officially began serving guests in Macomb and Wayne counties. This free neighborhood produce and dairy market is designed to make fresh, nutritious food more accessible for families. Since opening, Fresh! has quickly become a trusted resource and a powerful example of what’s possible when community input and thoughtful design come together.
Each week, guests have access to an average of 14 or more fresh produce items, along with milk, a dozen eggs, and a rotating selection of frozen fruits and vegetables. In the first five months of operation, more than 56,700 pounds of fresh produce—excluding milk and eggs—were distributed, thanks to close collaboration across Gleaners’ planning, food sourcing, warehouse, and IT teams. Usage trends and community feedback have shown just how much families value having options that support busy schedules.
A Flexible Model Built Around Guests
Created to fit into real life, Gleaners first introduced online shopping for curbside or refrigerated locker pick-up before opening the in-market experience. For curbside pickup, guests can shop online and choose from multiple pickup options within a three-day service window. Thursday and Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings are the busiest times.
One of the most exciting learnings has been how quickly guests have embraced after-hours refrigerated locker pickup. Many had never used a locker system before, but feedback shows the process has been easy, intuitive, and empowering—especially for our neighbors who need after-hours access.
Continuous Improvement Behind the Scenes
As a launch-and-learn pilot, Fresh! has operated with a strong focus on adapting and improving. The team has made thoughtful adjustments to keep operations efficient and guest-centered, including:
- Setting up back-of-house picking racks to streamline online order fulfillment when in-market operations are taking place.
- Using color-coded baskets and time-based organization for curbside orders to help maintain freshness, accuracy, and speed.
- Collaborating with local partner agencies to ensure produce overages from weekly deliveries are picked up and used for families right away.
Volunteers Powering the Experience
Fresh! comes to life because of the dedication of caring volunteers who show up for our community. To date, volunteers have contributed nearly 2,440 combined volunteer and training hours, with many supporting multiple roles as needed.
Weekly trainings help volunteers understand the full Fresh! operation—from stocking and picking to quality assurance and curbside fulfillment—so they can see the bigger picture and step in where help is needed most. Volunteers consistently go the extra mile to make sure guests receive quality food, like carefully checking every dozen eggs to ensure none are cracked.
Building Trust Through Connection
Early learnings have shown that trust and personal connection are key in the experience. In-person conversations, simple language, and clear expectations have helped guests feel confident navigating the system and making the most of what Fresh! offers.
Registration does not always mean immediate ordering, so staff and volunteers have focused on education and relationship-building to help guests understand how and when to use the service that works best for them.
Planning for the Future
At Fresh! by Gleaners, we’re building a community-driven approach to providing fresh food people want and need—at times and in quantities that work for them. With positive guest experiences, dedicated volunteers, and strong donor support, Fresh! is already proving to be a powerful addition to Gleaners’ work to end hunger.
The Gleaners team is committed to continuous improvement, using guest feedback and daily learnings to refine operations and deepen relationships. Fresh! continues to grow as a place where guests feel welcomed, supported, and heard.
Here’s what some recent Fresh! guests had to say:
- “They are super friendly and helpful, and it’s easy to order and pick it up. They have different items every other week. Thank you so much—it helps me out.”
- “All the food was fresh and good. I couldn’t have asked for better service. The people were very kind.”
- “The fresh food has been a true blessing during these uncertain and stressful economic times. Thank you all for being the life preserver in this turbulent sea.”
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