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 kkoiter@littletrinity.org 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 kkoiter@littletrinity.org. 

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 kkoiter@littletrinity.org.