GROW Community Food Literacy Centre is a registered charity in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Our mandate is to combat food insecurity, reduce systemic health inequities, and build community resilience across the Niagara Region. As a community-focused model GROW aims to addressing some of the long-term food challenges faced by low-income residents and persons with disabilities in our community.

We do this through a unique dual approach: combining affordable food access with hands-on food literacy education, delivered in an inclusive and empowering manner that strengthens social inclusion. Together, these programs build upon our mission to reduce hunger with dignity, build capacity and community, and foster sustainability to support health, belonging and social justice in the Niagara Region through food literacy.

Core Programs

1. GROW Market (Low-Cost Market): This subsidized, choice-based market is strategically located in the Elgin neighbourhood of Niagara Falls (the area with the highest concentration of vulnerable residents). It operates weekly, allowing members to shop for healthy, fresh foods of their choosing at heavily discounted prices, ensuring regular access without imposed limits. GROW Market serves over 1,200 low-income members.
2. GROW-on-the-GO Mobile Market: This mobile extension of our low-cost market directly addresses geographic barriers by bringing subsidized fresh produce to food deserts and priority neighbourhoods. It currently sustains over 1,100 members through eight crucial weekly stops in key locations across Niagara Falls, Welland, Fort Erie, Port Colborne, and St. Catharines.
3. Food Literacy Education: Embedded within our market model, we provide hands-on education designed to build food skills, foster confidence in cooking, and empower members to navigate high food costs effectively. Topics of cooking classes have included diabetes management, eating well for seniors, Indigenous cooking, local chef series, strategic cooking, cooking on a budget, and cooking with families.