Aurora residents are welcoming the chance to do monthly shopping at a new affordable fresh food market in town.
Sally Freitas, program manager at Welcoming Arms, one of the local organizations that partnered with York Region Food Network to host the market, said about 60 people have attended each of the first two market dates in June and July.
The network partners with local farms to sell healthy produce at lower prices, often at cost, with items like sweet peppers going for 75 cents, lettuce for $1 and at the June 12 market in downtown Aurora, there was free bok choy.
“Our programs are geared to reducing food insecurity. We offer two community meals per week and a drop-in program that provides grocery gift cards to eligible Aurora residents, toiletries,” Freitas said in an email. “We intentionally planned the market times to correspond with our community meal, Welcome Table, that happens every Wednesday night at 5 p.m. at the Trinity Anglican Church.”
Welcoming Arms also runs a drop-in program, called Bridging the Gap, with about 115 families each month using the program.
Attendees to the drop-in program have been given $5 vouchers for the fresh food market, after Welcoming Arms received a donation from the 100 Women Who Care Central York Region.
“Each item at the market is affordable and the $5 goes a long way,” added Freitas.
The fresh food markets are a new arrival in Aurora, but York Region Food Network runs similar events in in Newmarket, Georgina, Richmond Hill, Whitchurch-Stouffville and Markham.
Demand across the events has been “very high,” according to Chantal McCallum, the organization’s market co-ordinator.
“Very high demand, it’s incredible, we usually sell out at every market. We will adjust our purchasing of produce based on what we sold out the last time, we’ll just buy more produce to make sure we can provide for the need,” McCallum said in a previous interview with AuroraToday.
The northeast Aurora market is Aug. 28 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Northridge Community Church of the Salvation Army at 15338 Leslie St.
Payments can be made by visa, debit, cash or through vouchers distributed at Welcoming Arm’s drop-in program.
There is also a market in downtown Aurora, with the next date set for Aug. 14 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at 44 Metcalfe St.
You can find more information about the fresh food markets in the region here.
