Who We Are

The Halton Fresh Food Box is a non-profit community-based initiative bringing neighbours together to buy a variety of delicious and nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables at wholesale prices. It works like a large buying club with centralized buying and coordination. Our goal is to purchase food that is in season and is grown close to home as possible.

Once a month customers place their orders with Pick Up Site Coordinators in their neighbourhood. There are 3 sizes of food boxes available for purchase – an $8.00 singles bag; a $13.00 small box or a $17 family size box. Customers choose the box type depending on family size and preference. A delivery truck brings the boxes to neighbourhood pick up sites, where local volunteer Site Coordinators ensure that customers pick-up their boxes. Anewsletter with nutrition tips, recipes and information about the program is included in every box.

The organization relies heavily upon community volunteer support to carry out its services. Volunteers acquire new skills such as record keeping, team building, time management, banking, financial management and food handling, which are all integral elements of operating the Fresh Food Box.

A Little Bit of History

The Good Food Box or Fresh Food Box as it is called in Halton region concept is based on a very successful program developed by Food Share Toronto’s Field to Table Program that started in 1994 with only 40 boxes. Field to Table now delivers approximately 4000 boxes per month in the Toronto Area. Many communities from coast to coast have developed their own version of the Good Food Box, responding to local needs and circumstances.

The Halton Fresh Food Box was developed in 2004  by a working group under the banner of the Halton Anti-Poverty Coalition.  The working group consisted of members of the community and representation from the Halton Region Health Department, Halton Region Social Services Department, Halton Social Justice Coalition, Halton Multicultural Council, and St. Christopher’s Church in Burlington as a way of reaching out to those in the community who were not accessing adequate fresh fruits and vegetables.

Vision

Healthy Food for All

Mission

To provide access to healthy, local, high quality fruits and vegetables for all in Halton region, focusing primarily on low income residents, New Canadians and seniors.

Goals

• To improve community health by increasing access to affordable fruits and vegetables, by increasing the number of boxes we distribute by 5% per year for the next 5 years
• To achieve sustainable funding within one year
• To provide a minimum of 50% locally grown produce annually
• To maintain and/or grow partnerships with the community to help support the goals of the Halton Fresh Food Box, including fund-raising
• To increase awareness of hunger and poverty throughout Halton Region
• To partner with charitable organizations to increase the number of boxes available to low income residents, New Canadians and seniors