The Thorold Community Activities Group is helping fill the hunger gap in Thorold, Ontario, through the group’s community garden.

The Thorold Community Activities Group grows fresh fruits and vegetables in its community garden, which are used in the group’s baking and cooking classes and also sold at monthly pop-up markets or given for free to families struggling with rising food costs. The market helps provide food at a lower cost, with baskets selling at $2 for a small basket and $5 for a large one.

The project is making a real difference by helping families access nutritious food while bringing the community together. The Thorold Community Activities Group works with others, like The Odd Bunch and The Bridge in Niagara Falls, that help offer food at significant savings to customers. Last year, the group served over 600 people across 12 months, while this year, the group had already served over 500 people by June.

The garden began in 2022 with a $2,500 donation from the Scotts Foundation and has been supported over the years by grants. The recent $2,736 grant from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation helped TCAG make some improvements to the garden.

The Thorold Community Activities Group welcomes everyone to its community garden, and it is wheelchair accessible, allowing people to garden comfortably while seated. Children from camps, child-care programs, and cooking classes regularly visit the garden to learn where food comes from and how it is grown. For more information, visit thoroldgroup.org or the group’s page on Facebook.

Source: Richard Hutton, ThoroldToday