Fresh Produce Available for Brampton Residents This Holiday Season

Published November 29, 2016 at 9:19 pm

While the holidays are joyful for many people, this time of year can be particularly difficult for people with tighter budgets who struggle to cover day-to-day expenses and are overwhelmed by the p

While the holidays are joyful for many people, this time of year can be particularly difficult for people with tighter budgets who struggle to cover day-to-day expenses and are overwhelmed by the pressure to purchase gifts for loved ones.

For some people in Brampton (and Peel in general), affording food is difficult. According to a recent United Way report, poverty affects 17 per cent of people and families in Peel. The report notes that, on any given day, over 222,000 people experience poverty and struggle to afford housing.

For that reason, it’s good to remember that the Mississauga-based Eden Food for Change recently partnered with Good Food Brampton to provide residents with easier access to the brand’s Fresh Produce Boxes.

For years, there’s been discussion surrounding the costliness of fresher and more nutritious food–the food that can elude people in need who have difficulty affording groceries. Eden’s Fresh Produce Box boasts a mix of fruit and vegetables and can be purchased for $10 or $20. Typically, they offer twice the value of a local grocery store.

Initially, the program was only available in Mississauga, but operators saw demand from Brampton consumers and frequently served customers from the city.

Eden reached out to Good Food Brampton to enact a partnership in the summer.

“We’ve always had a strong demand to provide a Brampton pick-up site,” says Bill Crawford, Executive Director of EFFC. “There were many times that someone was picking-up seven, eight, nine or even ten boxes and would tell us that they were from Brampton. And Good Food Brampton is a great organization that we are really happy to partner with for this program.”

Orders for the Fresh Produce Box program must be placed online by 4pm the day before pick-up.

If you’re struggling–or know someone who is–you might benefit from more affordable produce this holiday season (and beyond). 

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