It's no secret that in this economy everyone's wallets are taking a big hit from food prices, that's why many people are turning to food share programs.
Bag after bag a team of volunteers worked to prepare food share boxes at the Georgian Good Food Box in Collingwood on Wednesday.
"Everybody knows what we do when we get here it's a big team effort to get it done as quick as we can," says Michelle Wright.
In less than one hour, they unloaded, sorted and boxed five tons of produce. The food is purchased wholesale and then sold at an affordable price.
A small box of assorted fruits and vegetables is $10, while a large bag is $15. Penny Murphy, a Collingwood resident, says it’s a good way to eat more vegetables.
In addition to the nutrition value, much of the food is grown locally.
"The carrots and onions are from the Holland Marsh. The potatoes are from Shelburne and the apples are from Nottawa," says Dominic Sanfillipo.
This sorting and boxing happens on the third Wednesday of each month at the legion in Collingwood, St. Patrick's Church in Stayner and the RecPlex in Wasaga Beach. In 12 years, they've distributed more than 50,000 boxes of produce.
The volunteer effort is the key to keeping the cost down. If there is any profit, bags of food are donated to low income households.
"Nobody is getting anything out of this besides being part of something in the community that's bigger than each of us is," says Mark Redmond of Georgian Good Food Box.
