Before being able to access the social grocery store, potential clients must first contact one of the following services:
- Social Office of Differdange
- Service Social de Proximité of the Red Cross,
- Service d’accompagnement social of the
- Ligue médico-sociale
- Ënnerdaach a.s.b.l.
These services will identify the financial situation of the household and according to the needs, they will define the duration (no more than six months) during which the client will be able to shop at the social grocery store as well as the monthly amount to spend.
Access to the social grocery store is usually linked to a concrete project that defines how the savings made through the purchase in the social grocery store are to be spent afterwards (e.g. overdue rent, unpaid loan, rental charge statement, dental costs, etc.).
Identified customers will receive an access card for the social grocery store and will be able to make their choice among the products offered. These are basic food and hygiene products. Currently a variety of 80 products are available. The products of the social grocery store are sold at a third of the normal selling price.
The products come from a central purchasing office which ensures regular supply and takes care of the purchase of products from the large distribution chains, respectively the redistribution of products with a short use-by date.
The Red Cross store is also intended to be a place where customers, professionals and volunteers can meet and exchange ideas. Cooking lessons are also offered with fresh produce from the groceries, led by professional nutritionists and chefs. These courses are also open to the public.