Good Food Box Program
Taylor Hainstock (left), co-ordinator of the Good Food Box Program with Community Care, joined with Sharon Woodhouse of the local Health Unit to distribute orders at the Moose Lodge. Each month's Good Food Box contains a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Good Food Box Program is not new to the community, but it is new to Community Care!
As of January 2012, management of the program that links local residents with growers and suppliers of fresh fruits and vegetables has been provided by Community Care, following several years of co-ordination by the HKPR District Health Unit.
The Good Food Box is a community-based initiative designed to improve access to affordable and healthy food for one and all. Each month, anyone in the community may purchase a large box of locally produced (in season) or locally supplied fruits and vegetables that equate to nutrition and healthy eating. Cost of a box is just $15. Retail value of the contents is much more than that.
In addition to the food, each box contains nutritional advice, recipes and healthy eating tips, as well as news and updates from Community Care.
The program is not restricted to certain income levels. Anyone can support the program by ordering a box each month. Orders for the Good Food Box must be made by the first Tuesday of the month, and pickup is on the third Tuesday (pickup takes place at the Moose Lodge in Lindsay). Most regular customers order and pay for the next month’s box when they pick their order up for the current month.
Like many of Community Care’s programs, the Good Food Box relies upon the valuable contributions made by dedicated volunteers. Each month, volunteers assist with pickup, packing and distribution of orders.
Orders for a Good Food Box can be made at any Community Care administration office. Payment (cash only) must be made in advance. Customers get a receipt for their payment, which includes a reminder about pickup date.
For further information about the Good Food Box, contact Community Care’s dietician at the Community Health Centre, Cherie Wan (705-324-7323 ext 107), or e-mail at cwan@community-care.on.ca
