*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 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.
** Please note that the Good Food Market will pause during the Christmas holidays so there will be NO market on Dec 25, Dec 31 or Jan 8.
Christmas Market – Dec 4 – A huge THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the first Little Trinity Christmas Market! Thank you to those who donated crafts and gifts; baked goodies; made drinks and hot chocolate; helped set up, run, and clean up the market; and all those who attended and supported the event! Special thanks to Joanne Millard for her help in organising the whole event. Over $1600 was raised for the Good Shepherd Ministries through the sale of affordable crafts and baked goods! This money will go to provide food and shelter for those most in need through the winter months.
Thank you for your part in helping spread a little bit of Kingdom joy this Advent season.
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 .
