Brampton residents donated nearly 7,000 pounds of home-grown produce to local food banks
Published November 9, 2021 at 10:36 am
From April to October, Brampton residents donated nearly 7,000 pounds of food they grew themselves to help food-insecure residents.
Brampton’s Backyard Garden Program, chaired by Doug Whillans, Regional Councillor for Wards 2 and 6, and facilitated by the City’s Parks Maintenance and Forestry division, launched in April 2020 as a response to the pandemic.
It was the first program of its kind in Canada. An extension of the City’s Community Gardens program, it was intended to assist communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
All Brampton residents were encouraged to take part, and the City provided participants with soil, packages of seeds, and growing advice for their new gardens.
From the spring until the fall, residents grew their own gardens, with many donating the produce to food banks and community organizations.
In total, Brampton residents provided 6,946 pounds of produce to organizations such as the Knights Table, Regeneration, Lifting the Fallen Pentecostal Church/Iglesia Pentecostal Levantando Al Caido, and Heart Lake United Church’s Community Cupboard.
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“We are excited to announce that Brampton’s second annual Backyard Garden Program provided nearly 7,000 lbs of produce for residents in need. This program was the first of its kind in Canada when it launched last year during the pandemic, and Brampton has inspired cities near and far,” Mayor Patrick Brown said in a news release.
“Thank you to Councillor Whillans for his excellent leadership, our supporters, and everyone who grew and donated produce to help alleviate pressure on our community food banks, especially during this time.”
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