Members of the Cornell community are now able to take advantage of a unique opportunity offered by Cornell Minds Matter to get their grocery shopping done. Weekly Wegmans Runs, started this semester, allows individuals free transportation to and from Wegmans on Mondays.
Traditionally, students have to take two hourly buses to Wegmans, use ride sharing services such as Uber or use a car, if they have one. Since Nov. 11, they now have a new option.
Emily Hurwitz ’21 has had a positive experience participating in a few of the Weekly Wegmans Runs. Before, Hurwitz noted that although Target is accessible by bus, it wasn’t the best for her grocery shopping needs, and the TCAT commute to Wegmans ultimately took her three hours per trip.
Tatiana Blechman ’20, Social Events Coordinator for CMM, organizes the transportation for individuals and makes sure that everyone gets rides to and from Wegmans accordingly. She does not foresee a participation limit in the future.
“We recognize that getting to Wegmans can often be very difficult for individuals that do not have a car on campus,” Blechman said. “We wanted to provide students with an alternative resource for getting groceries.”
The weekly event has made the planning side of grocery shopping easier, too. Before, Hurwitz recalls spending “over $100 at Wegmans, stocking up on cooking supplies” and making additional trips to Target and Anabel’s Grocery.
Now, Hurwitz enjoys not having to worry about carefully planning her meals anymore because she can get what she needs for the week in one trip to Wegmans. The quality of her purchases has also improved. “I can buy healthier meats, fresh bread and better bakery items.”
Abhi Ramakrishnan ’20 was very excited when she first heard about the opportunity.
“I have been looking for an easy shopping solution like this since sophomore year when I started cooking,” Ramakrishnan said, describing similar benefits. “This does make it easier to track my spending as I am mostly purchasing everything I need at one store, at one time.”
Ramakirshnan lauded Weekly Wegmans Runs for being “environmentally friendly,” “time-efficient” and “reliable.” She pointed out the initiative’s connection to accessibility of food at Cornell.
“Lack of access to quality groceries is an important aspect of food insecurity which I believe is very prevalent on this campus,” Ramakirshnan said.
The next Weekly Wegmans Runs are Dec. 2 and 9. Interested participants can sign up on a weekly basis via a sign-up sheet on the organization’s Facebook page. They then meet by Robert Purcell Community Center on Monday at approximately 6:20 p.m., travel to Wegmans in groups via taxis paid for by CMM, and return at 7:15 p.m.