DENVER -- The people who run SHARE from an old warehouse in Westminster say they can save you 50 percent on your food bill by designing a standard menu each month.

"For example, all this will feed a family of four dinner every night for a month. Total cost -- $215 ," said Dann Aungst, pointing to the boxes of food available at SHARE.

Some of the brands on the shelf are familiar ones, while others are mostly sold to schools, churches and other institutions. The monthly menus are standardized because SHARE buys in volume.

"We buy direct from growers, ranchers, farmers, distributors, closeout houses," said Aungst, managing director of SHARE.

Still, there's a little room for some variety.

"Throw in a few special treats, that's another $21," said Aungst.

"I love it because it cuts back on the fighting over what we are going to have for dinner," SHARE user Salena Torres said. "I cut out the meal plan and hang it on the fridge and that is what we are having each night."

"I have such a hard time trying to plan and buy food for my family for just a week worth of meals," said another SHARE user, Fran Raleigh. "With this meal plan it takes all the guesswork out for me and it also reduces the amount of time I have to spend at the store, which is a huge bonus."

This year, SHARE will spend $10 million buying groceries and distributing them to clients through dozens of churches and community centers across the state.

"We're essentially a co-op with a service element. We like our people to be involved in the community," said Aungst.

SHARE likes its clients to spend a few hours a month doing volunteer work.

"What we want people to do is be involved in the community. It's not about income," said Aungst.

The meal plan, as outlined on its Web site lays out in detail how to feed a typical family of four, with a complete dinner plan for each day of the month, as well as breakfast and lunch suggestions.

The meal plan gives a complete shopping list of what to purchase from SHARE and what to buy from your local grocery store.

But there's no choice when it comes to your groceries. You get what's on the monthly menu and the grocery packages don't always look pretty but the savings are pretty impressive.

SHAREe is a nationwide program and here in Colorado it is sponsored by Catholic Charities. It's no frills and there is no income test.

Additional Information:

To learn more about the program, go to ShareColorado.com or call (303) 428-0400.