Jody and her husband, Josh, are accustomed to feeding a crowd. Thanks in part to their three teenage girls, their place is the hangout-hub for countless neighborhood and school friends. In addition, they have opened their hearts and home to dozens of US Naval Academy midshipmen who come to their home for “R&R” on a regular basis. “We have kids come home with ours on the bus, and Mids coming in and out, and we are always feeding someone!”
“We have a lot of teens in our home always eating, so having healthy options, and lots of them, is a must for us. We came to Azure more recently, and we’re on a journey to provide healthier food options in our home. It’s been a really easy transition to slowly go through the pantry and replace what we were eating previously with “Azure” versions. Each month, I try to replace a few more things. Our family really loves the changes, and Azure carries certain products that no one else does. Also, the price point is appealing at Azure—way better than what I find at local food stores. It’s been fun watching our girls notice the difference in quality of Azure foods versus what we used to get. I’ll hear them say things like, “Where’s the good cheese?” And they’re experimenting and fine-tuning their own dietary choices, learning to eat more consciously, thinking about what they put into their bodies. I feel good knowing that whether it’s parfaits or chili or casseroles, we know the ingredients are better, and the end result is healthier. We’ve also really enjoyed trying out all the good-for-you snacks Azure offers; there are many items we had never seen before.
I started an Azure drop because there wasn’t one servicing the Annapolis area, and my closest drops were nearly an hour away, in Pasadena and Upper Marlboro. I’ve gone to both those drops, but being outside of the Baltimore-DC area, traffic is intense, so it could sometimes take up to 2 hours. I figured if I’m going to spend that much time, I might as well start one closer to me!
Both of the other drops in my area are thriving, and I got a lot of support from the Pasadena drop coordinator (DC) in setting mine up; in fact, the DC there spread the word for me! We had probably ten customers from Pasadena transferred down to us because my Annapolis drop is closer to them. I have about 80 members, and about 48 are active; there are probably around 25 customers any given month, and growing!
The process was straightforward. I called Azure last year about wanting to start a drop, put in my application in June, and filled out the paperwork to be a DC. I needed to get permission from our church to host the drop on their campus, and initially it was on a trial basis with our church, but they’ve since given us free rein. I just communicate with them about drop times and dates, and it has been smooth. It took about a month for all the approvals to go through, so our first drop was in August 2024.
I was really excited about starting our drop community, so my daughter and I made flower arrangements in Azure Canning Co. jars for each customer who came to our first official pickup. Those ten customers have continued on, and I see most of them monthly! Most of them were already familiar with Azure and happy to have a drop closer to home. I started getting word out through my social media, and a lot has been word of mouth. I created some ads on social media and shared them with some of my area mom groups on Facebook. I notice that our members bring friends and family into our drop, and although we have not advertised to churches, I can tell that members are inviting some of their church family, too. I consistently have new people signing up each month to join our drop.
When I began, Azure provided some flyers and cards to hand out, but I created some signs and had them printed for my drop site. I set them up when I get to the drop, just to make it easier for people to know where to enter and where to park, and as confirmation to new members that they’re in the right place.
For us, the drop is a family affair! As a drop coordinator, I spend most of my time at the drop talking to our members. Usually, my husband comes along to provide the muscle, helping carry large bags to customers’ cars. Darryl and Bette, my in-laws, come to the drops to be part of the Azure community. Darryl loves talking to the drivers, and Bette is a greeter, making it fun and friendly. We often bring a speaker and play music, which adds a fun touch. And of course, our delivery drivers have been amazing—so friendly and helpful, and they are a joy to work with.
What I love to see is that we are making our own little community here at our drop. It’s easy to see that the families have gotten to know each other, friendships are forming, and everyone goes above and beyond to help one another. Long after the truck has pulled out, some folks will hang around and chat, and that does my heart good!"
Tips:
- I use mason jar lids, placed in two rows on the pavement behind the truck, so people can easily find where to put the boxes as we unload. Dry-erase markers are great for writing on the customer names on the lids, and the lids don’t blow away like paper would.
- We bring two mini push-carts (called MagnaCarts) that I allow people to use to transport heavy items to their cars. It is amazing how useful a cart is for lugging heavy bags and boxes!
- When we get a new member, I send out an email and videos on how Azure drops work, with some tips about what to expect.
- I set up a GroupMe chat for the day of our delivery that enables me to communicate with all our members immediately.
- If it’s going to be a rainy day, I will announce that on the GroupMe chat, and I will bring trash bags, so boxes and bags don’t get laid on wet ground.