Quadruple your impact this Giving Tuesday
Donate to Fresh to Families this Giving Tuesday, November 30th 2021
We’re approaching this Giving Tuesday with our regional food security top of mind. The damage and disruption of the BC floods and slides will be long lasting, and serves as a stark reminder of how fragile our regional food system is. We’re looking ahead at ways to mitigate the future impacts of the floods on our farmers, which is why our Fresh to Families program is stepping up efforts to raise funds to benefit farmers.
This Giving Tuesday you can help us build a local food system that supports regional producers and makes fresh, local produce accessible to those in need.
Our Fresh to Families Fund provides vulnerable families with fresh food coupons that are used to purchase local food from BC farmers and producers. We need to raise $34,000 to ensure that Vancouver families in need have the opportunity to buy delicious, healthy food directly from the farmers at Vancouver Farmer’s Markets in 2022. Read on to learn more about our matching funds campaign and how you can help.
Always double the impact
The Fresh to Families Fund currently serves 324 lower income families in Vancouver, including at-risk new and expectant mothers, newly arrived immigrants and refugees and seniors. Families are able to purchase fresh food that is appropriate for their families diets and cultures, often finding items that are harder to find at grocery stores or food banks. As one recipient said: “I can’t find eggplants like those anywhere in Vancouver, it’s exactly like the ones we have back home.”.
Small-scale farmers also reap the benefits of the Fresh to Families Fund. Each coupon spent benefits a local farmer. Sales from Fresh to Families coupons help boost farm income, directly supporting the livelihoods of over 80 small-scale producers, some farmers reporting an increase in sales of up to 20% on weeks when coupons are being distributed.
The program does much more than increase healthy food access and financially support local farmers, it also helps build meaningful connections between farmers and coupon users, as Jean Chrétien of Rockweld Farms explains: “Apart from increased sales, which are significant, there is the pleasure of seeing the market community expand as a whole, meeting new faces and getting reacquainted with old faces.”.
Double the donations
We’re going exponential this Giving Tuesday. So far we’ve raised $17,000 in matching funds thanks to the awesome folks at Renewal Partners, Rockweld Farm, Horizon Grocery + Wellness, Renewal Funds, Dana and Joel Solomon Fund at MakeWay, Earnest Ice Cream, Vancouver Coastal Health Public Health Dieticians, Fasken, West Point Naturals, Earth Apple Farm, Klippers Organic Acres, Paul’s Produce, Daiya Foods, Telus and VFM staff & board.
If we match each pledged dollar, we’ll raise $34,000 for fresh food coupons for families in need. That’s $34,000 in food for families and $34,000 in revenue for local farmers.
Double the impact x double the donations = quadruple the impact
WHAT YOUR DONATIONS MEAN:
The Fresh to Families program relies on sponsors and people like you!
- A $25 donation brings a family to the farmers markets one time
- A $100 donation brings a family to the market for an entire month
- A $500 donation brings a family to the market for an entire market season, June to December
HOW TO DONATE:
- Donating is easy! Simply click here to access our Vancity donation page.
- Click ‘Give to this fund’ & enter your card details.
- Donations of $20 or more will receive an official tax receipt.
