*MARKET NEWS*
GFM Moves Indoors! As Little T rounds the seventh month of operating our affordable produce market, we begin a new adventure: moving indoors!
For the past seven months a large and dedicated team of Little Trinity & neighbourhood volunteers have spent their Wednesday afternoons setting up, running, and cleaning up the Good Food Market just outside the church. It has been a blast getting to know our neighbours (and their dogs!), building community, and helping address the rising costs of food through our nonprofit market. Through our pay-it-forward system and the generosity of many customers, we have been able to offer discounts or even free groceries to those who can’t afford to pay.
As the weather turns colder, we’ve now moved the market into the parish hall. This opens up new opportunities, like a cafe area and tea station where people can enjoy some community before heading back out into the cold.
Our first indoor market was a success, with many of our regular customers attending, and some of them sitting down to enjoy a hot beverage and to make a new friend! One family that we served is a refugee family newly arrived from Pakistan, who showed up in Canada on Nov 5 only to discover that life in Toronto is not easy these days. They have found a place to stay at a nearby refugee shelter, but are still responsible for finding food and other basics. They were able to sit in the warmth and enjoy tea while listening to the music of “Dr Ben” (Ben Chan). While we couldn’t ‘solve’ everything for them, we were able to provide warm hospitality, and to send them on their way with some food and a smile on their faces. We hope to see them again soon.
The market is a very rewarding place to spend a few hours! We are always looking for new volunteers, so please reach out if you are interested in being a part of this fun venture – you have a choice of being assigned to a team that serves once every six weeks, or coming more often if you prefer. And do be sure to join us for our special Christmas Market on December 4, from 4:30 – 6:30pm!
Mark Your Calendars!
Wednesday, December 4, 4:30-6:30pm: Christmas Market!
We are excited to present the first Little Trinity Christmas Market on Wednesday, December 4 from 4:30-6:30pm, in collaboration with our regular Good Food Market!
Come out and enjoy:
- Live Music – Featuring Christmas Jazz from the renowned Ewen Farncombe, a Juno-nominated pianist and composer based out of Toronto.
- Free Goodies – Take a load off and enjoy complimentary hot chocolate, apple cider, and yummy treats!
- Unique Gifts – Do your holiday shopping and pick up some unique hand-made gifts for your loved ones!
- Groceries – Stop by our regular produce market, offering high quality fruits and veggies at wholesale prices!
All proceeds will go to Good Shepherd Ministries, a local organization that serves over 1000 meals a day to those in need.
Interested in volunteering?
Volunteers Needed to:
- Decorate
- Set Up
- Greet
- Staff baked-goods and craft/gift tables
- Take Down
Please contact Karen Koiter or Joanne Millard for more information or to sign up.
Donations Needed:
- Home-made baked goods (Christmas cookies, breads, and treats)
- Handcrafted small gift items, decorations, cards, knitted goods
We are looking for items that are small, not too expensive, suitable for stocking stuffers, decorations, small-but-excellent gifts. We’d like to be able a nice range of items under $20.00. If you are a ‘maker’ we’d be happy to display your cards, QR code, or other ways you’d like people to know about your creations. We will be putting together mixed plates of baked goods to sell for various prices. All proceeds will go to Good Shepherd Ministries, our partner in the Good Food Market, who serve over 1,000 meals a day to those in need. If you’d like to come and staff the table where your items will be sold, we’d love to have you! For more information including drop-off arrangements, contact Karen Koiter or Joanne Millard .
We are looking forward to welcoming our community to this event with live music and free hot drinks and treats, as well!
Speak with Karen () for more details or to volunteer.
Blessing of the Pets, Oct 2 – We were delighted to welcome almost 30 dogs at the Blessing of the Pets at the GFM on October 2! Dogs large and small came from near and far to have a blessing spoken over them and to enjoy some tasty treats and a photobooth. Their humans also enjoyed (human) treats! A good time was had by all!
Located near the Distillery District of Toronto, this weekly Good Food Market at 425 King Street East (outside the church) will be a place to access good quality, healthy fruits and vegetables at wholesale prices. Little Trinity Anglican Church has been part of this community since 1842 and continues to thrive as a church in the area. This Good Food Market aims to promote food security and build community in a part of the city that is seeing rapid renewal and growth.
Our partners, FoodShare are a known organization doing these markets throughout the city. FoodShare is a food justice organization, advocating for the right to food, and working to challenge the systemic barriers that keep people from accessing the food they need to thrive. We support community-led food initiatives and work alongside communities most affected by poverty and food insecurity
Little T’s Market “Heart” Scheme:
Here’s how it works:
Each heart token represents $1
Use a Heart:
Anyone can use up to 10 heart tokens to help cover their bill. Maybe you forgot your wallet or maybe things are a little tight this week. We don’t ask. You don’t have to justify.
Buy a Heart:
Feeling flush? Buy a few tokens and place them in the basket. Anyone can purchase a heart token. It’s our pay-it-forward system.
Adding $1 or $2 to your bill may make a big difference for our friends who use the scheme. Community care is a beautiful thing!
Come check out the Market! There are many different ways to be part of the Good Food Market which runs weekly on Wednesdays, from 4:30-6:30pm. See a quick video HERE! Become a volunteer in this exciting and much-needed venture in Corktown! To find out more details – email Karen at .
