May 31st, 2021 

The Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition would like to extend our huge gratitude to the 100 Women Who Care and your amazing gift. The NEHM provides fresh and nutritious food to hundreds of community members each week. Over the past year the pandemic has caused a lot of stress and trauma in the lives of so many of our friends. This has created more need for the NEHM’s work and increased our food budget. Your gift could not have come at a better time. I’d like all of us to reflect on why so many in our community need to access emergency food programs and the inequity in our city and country.               

Thanks from Brendan Johnson  –  Executive Director GNSC. 

The North End Harvest Market would like to thank 100 Women Who Care Guelph for your amazing dedication to our community and especially to our vulnerable citizens struggling daily and even more during this pandemic to put good nutritious food on their tables with a special shout out to Linda Cowbrough who was our nominator and is a great market supporter and volunteer.  

Thanks from Barb McPhee – NEHM Manager 

The North End Harvest Market started in July of 2013 as a pilot project to provide fresh produce in the north end of Guelph (which was a food desert) to low income families.  With no sustainable funding, just donations and help from grants and our ADOPT-A-WEEK program, the market has been able to provide this service for the past 7 years. 

The Market provides fresh produce to approximately 560 individuals and families each week.  Marketers are allowed to access the market every two weeks.  The market started in the north end of Guelph and now because of COVID we provide produce to all corners of the City.  We deliver to around 80 homes and we have a Curbside service where the marketer pulls up in their car and a bag of produce is put in their back seat or trunk and they drive away.  It is a real safe – COVID way to make sure everyone gets their produce in a safe way. 

“My name is Molly and I am a delivery driver for the North End Harvest Market and just wanted you to know that your financial support is such an amazing donation.  The market does such an amazing job at making sure the most vulnerable are fed.  As a driver – each week – I have been able to make a distant covid connection with some of the marketers receiving this service and I can tell you that they are so very greatful to the market.  I take my kids along to help deliver and it is a fun experience to share as a family.  – Thanks for your gift.” 

Cobs Bread Bakery has an End of Day Giving program where at the end of each day – left over bread is given to community charities and the market is lucky enough to be one of those charities and we are able to give bread, buns, scones and treats out to the families as well as the produce. We also have a connection with one of the Zehrs Stores and we receive their left over goods and combined with a Cobs Bread pick up on Saturday nights, we are able to provide a free bread market on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and we see around 40 families a week. 

“My name is Ellie Gains and I am a single mother with 3 children – I had to quit my job because of COVID , to stay home and help with home schooling.  I am so grateful for the North End Harvest Market who provides our family with the fresh produce that we could not afford to purchase and my children actually love vegetables.  It has also been a blessing that they deliver as I could not carry the produce and my children on the bus.  There is also a bonus now with Harveys free bread market that helps us with free bread and treats on Sundays.”

“My name is Norine Wagner and I was a marketer for over two years and the fresh produce actually saved my life as I was diabetic and could not afford to eat properly.  I now have my health in line and have a part time job to continue with produce.  I also now volunteer each week at the market to give back.” 

“My Name is Kent Wagner and the North End Harvest Market helped me tremendously during my addiction recovery – they not only provided me with Fresh Produce, but treated me like part of the market family and supported me to find resources I needed.  I volunteered at the market to give back and now I have a job at a men’s shelter which the market now supports once a month with fresh produce.  Thanks for your generous donation.  The market works hard at fundraising and these kind of donations are a blessing for their survival.”

Pearl is one of our marketers who is such an inspiration – she just turned 89 and we were able to give her a cake from our Free Bread Market and celebrated with balloons and air hugs.  Your donation makes the little things in life happen with love, caring and dignity. 

THANK YOU 100 WOMEN WHO CARE GUELPH!!!!!!!! 

Barb McPhee, Manager, North End Harvest Market