What with the Marpole Place Community building still under repair, the Anglican Parish of St. Augustine’s, Marpole continues to support Marpole Place with access to the Parish Hall and now with access to the church grounds.
Beginning on Wednesday, July 16th, Marpole Place partner organization Westside Mobile Food Market began holding their weekly street markets in front of St. Augustine’s Church, from 4-7 pm.
Every Wednesday in the summer of 2014, Westside Mobile Food Market Coordinator, Rachel Elves and her staff and volunteers cover the Anglican circuit. They begin first by setting up the tables in partnership with the South Granville Senior’s Centre located at Holy Trinity Anglican Church at the corners of West 12th and Hemlock streets and then stocking up and heading over to St. Augustine’s.In speaking with Rachel on July 30th, the third week of their residence at St. Augustine’s, she was delighted to point out that first week sales at the St. Augustine’s location were higher than the average for 2013. The Westside Mobile Food Market supplies had sold out earlier in the day at Holy Trinity. Rachel was grateful for the support of Holy Trinity Parish Administrator Sharon Grove who made sure that there was room in the Holy Trinity/South Granville Senior’s Centre cooler for Westside’s produce and also arranged for them to borrow Holy Trinity’s white tent/awning to set up at St. Augustine’s so that they would have two, offering shade for the shoppers.
Westside Mobile Food Market’s produce comes from Surrey’s God’s Little Acre Farm, a not-for-profit that donates half of its produce primarily to faith based organizations like the Salvation Army for use in their food outreach ministries. The other half of the produce is sold to not-for-profits like Westside.The produce sold by Westside consists of the highest quality organic fruits and vegetables. Prices are fixed at the same or lower than what customers would pay at the local grocery chain stores. Many of Westside’s regular customers are seniors and according to Rachel it is beneficial for older people, young children and those with compromised immune systems to avail themselves of fresh produce, free from growth hormones and pesticides.
Congratulations to priest-in-charge, the Reverend Andrew Halladay and the Parish of St. Augustine’s for the continuation of their relationship with Marpole Place and for supporting initiatives like Westside Mobile Food Market.Images: Top and homepage, Rachel Elves in the foreground arranges some potatoes as customers gather right at the 4pm opening time. Right, Organic produce from God's Little Acre. Below, a brisk business is done in the shade underneath the tents on a very hot July day. Photos - Randy Murray