Time Dollar is committed to providing food that is healthy and nutritious based on availability. Boxes or bags are prepared to include food from each food group. We try to make it as nutritious as possible. We include fresh herbs and vegetables from our Jardín de la Esperanza community garden.

Through our partnership with the Yard Farmers and Ranchers Market, we are also able to include fresh locally grown and organic vegetables, herbs, artisanal breads, free-range eggs, artisanal cheese, condiments, and
sometimes pork or beef. All food items are based on availability. The food pantry is open to all residents of Bexar County once per month who meet income guidelines.

Through our Garden Program, we include a spring and fall series titled “Gardening and Sustainable Living Classes.” We teach Square Foot Gardening to those who come to our Time Dollar Community Table food pantry. People learn to use a simple square-foot gardening technique, which uses 20% of the space, 20% of the water, and 20% of the work but still produces 100% of the harvest. This garden-to-table process provides nutritious, chemical-free vegetables and herbs.

Ground-level or tabletop garden frames are provided. Class series include techniques in planting, herbs & companion planting, household use of herbs, composting, water saving, organic pest control, saving seeds, nutrition, healthy cooking, diabetes management through food, sustainable cooking & refrigeration, canning, and use of traditional medicinal plants for healing. Garden-to-table eating is promoted throughout our classes for health.

Our program is unique in that we provide descriptions of unusual vegetables along with storage, cooking instructions, and recipes. We also provide cooking demos and their respective recipes so our guests can taste these types of vegetables. We provide nutrition classes focusing on diabetes, healthy eating, and using vegetables from your garden.