THUNDER BAY — The year ended on a high note for the Roots Community Food Centre.
It managed to reach an ambitious goal of raising $60,000 to support the operation of community food markets in Thunder Bay and three First Nations communities in 2023.
"We set a year-end goal to raise funds to help our year coming up. This year we were excited and also a little bit nervous to set a really high goal to fund the subsidy for our community food markets, $60,000 is almost triple what we've tried to raise at the end of the year," executive director Erin Beagle said.
"But it was the number we needed to run the existing ones and expand to two more."
Roots Community Food Centre purchases food at a certain price, but sells it to clients for 25 to 30 per cent less.
Most of the money that was raised will go toward covering the difference, but about about one-third will be set aside for market incentives.
These are provided to community partners that identify individuals within their own client base who need a boost to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into their weekly diets.
Depending on the size of their families, clients receive a credit specified on a card which they can take to a community food market over a period of 16 weeks.
Beagle estimates that this program will benefit about 200 area families.
Community food markets, she said, are different from what the community food centre distributes in the summer, which consists of locally-grown produce.
"It's conventional fruits and vegetables ... Pineapples and bananas, oranges and apples, the things people want in their fridges. The idea is that people can come to the community food market and get a lower price, whereas otherwise they might skip that in the grocery store and instead go for other foods that would maybe fill them up quicker and that they could afford more."
Beagle noted that there are multiple proven positive health outcomes when people are able to access fresh fruits and vegetables.
She said the program also provides clients with a choice of agencies.
"It's not a handout. It's not a food bank. It's coming in and choosing groceries just like anyone else. And the markets are open to anyone," she said.
One of the three current locations is in the Limbrick area but it will change later this month to the Vale Community Centre.
Other locations are at the Whitesand and Gull Bay First Nations.
New sites will open this year at the Roots Community Food Centre headquarters on Fort William Road and at Rocky Bay First Nation.
"Our target is people who are really feeling the crunch of high food prices, and not seeing any changes in their income or social assistance," Beagle emphasized.
The $60,000 that was collected came from over 170 groups and individuals, and will subsidize about $200,000 worth of food at the five markets.
At its Fort William Road base, the Roots Community Food Centre will also soon be providing meals for seniors and elders twice a week.
Beagle said she hopes to make a public announcement and provide more details by early February.