One innovative market in Moss Park is helping residents eat well and affordably through its unique market model.
Moss Park is lined with shelters, social services and social housing. The City of Toronto’s latest census shows that the downtown Toronto neighbourhood has a higher percentage of low-income earners compared to the rest of the city.
So, how do residents buy groceries that fit their budget? One way is through the Moss Park Market. Run by social venture Building Roots, the market has a unique pay-what-you-can model. Unlike food banks, which hand out a select bag of groceries, the market allows residents to pick produce that they like and pay what’s possible.
Chris Little, who works in Moss Park says, “I can’t afford [groceries] and it’s crazy, really. I mean, the basic, unprocessed food is very expensive, and that’s the healthiest [kind that] you want to eat, [but] it’s out of affordability for most people, I think, especially around this neighbourhood.”
Meanwhile, Moss Park resident Julio Naval Baron adds, “What I complain mostly is about the prices. Everything is going up, up, then the next day you go to the supermarket and you realize again the prices have gone up — and it’s crazy.”
Ella Lightstone, food programs manager at Moss Park Market, says the market is a focal point in the neighbourhood, people stop by throughout the day, whether it’s to get a sandwich, access harm reduction supplies or just warm up.
“Food security is what I do, but Building Roots supports the community in other ways, as well. The market is like the thing — it’s big, it’s busy, it’s exciting,” she explains. “But the other things, like those quiet and caring moments that we have every single week, are more important.”
The market ensures locals have access to fresh and healthy food through produce that comes from their own community garden and partner organizations.
Muhammad Ahsen Bhatti, a volunteer who’s been a part of the Moss Park Market for four years, says, “People can’t go about their daily lives. They can’t work, they can’t go to school or anything if they aren’t able to be healthy and lead healthy lives.”
A report by CivicAction and Boston Consulting Group released this month shows that 51 per cent of new food bank users come from households with at least one person employed, suggesting that food insecurity impacts everyone, not just the jobless.
The Moss Park Market currently runs on earnings from the market, donations from residents and government grants. But Lightstone says community funding would be the most sustainable way of running it in the long term.
She also wants the market to offer economic opportunities for residents by providing a space where they can sell their own crafts and food.