GROW Community Food Literacy Centre is a community-focused model aimed at addressing some of the long-term food challenges low-income residents and persons with disabilities face in our community. We do this by offering a weekly subsidized market, with a focus on fresh produce, diary, dairy alternatives, meats, and meat alternatives. In addition, we offer food literacy programming such as cooking classes, a community garden, and food security advocacy. Donations to the “GROW on the GO” program would allows us to expand our current outreach by offering healthy food options to low-income and hard to reach communities in food deserts in Niagara Falls through this unique and innovate mobile food market.

Currently only 25% of households in need visit food banks for a variety of reasons including the stigma attached to getting handouts, lack of choice, nutritional value, and barriers to access. Families face restricting processes that can be undignified. Our mobile market will eliminate the stigma and empower families to purchase their own food at subsidized affordable rates.

“GROW on the Go” will also support families by offering onsite food literacy programming. This will help families to understand the impact food choices have on their health and will provide families with the necessary skills to choose, prepare, and enjoy healthy food. Because of the reach and flexibility of a mobile food truck, schools can be added as a stop for the program providing hands-on food literacy programming.

Our ultimate goal is to provide access to fresh produce in a dignified approach – a move away from the traditional food charity models to a sustainable and welcoming approach where families and individuals have weekly access to good food which they choose for themselves.