Good Food Market

Market Volunteer Opportunities

As we enter into our second summer of the Good Food Market, I am so grateful to God and to the many, many people who have supported and helped the market run in big ways and small! A special thank you to our Coordinating Committee: Benita Black (ordering), Nathalie Chernoff (logistics), Caleb Edwards (marketing), and Joanne Millard (marketing & supervisor backup), as well as our new volunteer coordinator, Sara Austin!

We welcome new volunteers, and have a variety of volunteer roles available:

Scheduled Market Helper – is on one of 6 scheduled teams, serving once every 7 weeks at the market. Can either be on the set-up (early) shift or the clean up (late) shift.

  • SET-UP DUTIES: setting up tables; splitting produce into baskets; creating price signs; prepping hospitality
  • MARKET DUTIES: refilling produce baskets; making customers feel welcome; cash register or bagging; giving dogs treats
  • CLEAN-UP DUTIES: wiping down surfaces & taking down tables; cleaning & storing baskets & price signs; sweeping & spot-mopping as needed; emptying garbage & recycling
  • TIME COMMITMENT: 2.5 hours on a Wednesday, once every 7 weeks
    • Early shift: 3:45pm – 6:30pm
    • Late shift: 4:30pm – 7:00pm
  • SKILLS NEEDED: Friendliness and willingness to help out! Those who wish can be trained on taking payments or other specific skills.

Unscheduled Market Helper

  • Same as above; only coming whenever you choose rather than on a schedule. The scheduled volunteers make up the minimum number of people required to run the market, but more is better, so we always welcome drop-in volunteers!

Substitute Market Helper

  • Same as above, only available to be scheduled if others aren’t available

Team Lead – is the “shift supervisor” for one of the 6 teams.

  • SET-UP DUTIES: counting cashbox with the supervisor; assigning roles to volunteers; assisting in set-up; making sure everything is covered
  • MARKET DUTIES: overseeing the helpers at the market; making sure all the roles are covered and reassigning helpers as needed; connecting with market customers
  • CLEAN-UP DUTIES: helping clean up and assigning helpers to tasks; making sure everything is tidy at night’s end; prepping a deposit and filling out a Market Report with the supervisor; dropping off excess produce at shelter (or arranging for someone else to)
  • TIME COMMITMENT: 3.5 hours on a Wednesday (3:45pm – 7:15pm), once every 7 weeks
  • SKILLS NEEDED: Leadership skills; attention to detail; cash handling an asset; problem solving

Backup Order Assistant – available to back up our Order Coordinator (Benita) when she is unavailable or needs help.

  • DUTIES: putting in a weekly order of fruits & vegetables through our ordering partner FoodShare; making a Price List for the week
  • TIME COMMITMENT: 1-1.5 hrs/week (Thursday or Friday at your convenience), a few times a year
  • SKILLS NEEDED: Computer skills and ability to work with Excel/Google Sheets; willingness to be trained on ordering and pricing

Backup Market Supervisor – available to cover for Karen or Joanne when they are away. The Market Supervisor is present for the entirety of the market (set-up, market, and clean-up) and has ultimate responsibility for the running of the market, the cash handling, and the deposit.

  • SET-UP DUTIES: helping set up (team lead will assign a role)
  • MARKET DUTIES: helping run the market (team lead will assign a role); trouble-shooting as necessary; backing up team lead as necessary
  • CLEAN-UP DUTIES: helping clean up; counting out cashbox and preparing deposit and Market Report with team lead; ensuring church is empty and locked at night’s end
  • TIME COMMITMENT: 3.5 hours on a Wednesday, a few times a year (3:45pm – 7:15pm)
  • SKILLS NEEDED: Strong attention to detail; facility with cash handling; high level of problem solving skills. Police record check & extensive training required.

If you think you might be interested in one of the above roles or have questions about any of them, please contact Karen at or just show up at a Wednesday market and find me!

*MARKET NEWS*

Our Good Food Market is now in its second year of providing fresh, affordable fruits and veggies to neighbours every Wednesday from 4:30-6:30pm. On nice days between May – November you will find us outside on the steps of Little Trinity Church (425 King St E), and on rainy days you’ll find us inside the church. The market incorporates a pay-it-forward system, enabling a safe and welcoming space for everyone to shop, regardless of means. If you are in need of a little extra help covering groceries, feel free to ask a volunteer for a coupon! If you would like to contribute to the coupon system (known as our “heart system”), there are options to donate at the till.

We have between 30-40 volunteers, including many community members. We are always glad to welcome more volunteers, so please reach out if you’re interested to . 

Come by and check us out!

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 .