Mobile Market adds another Sarnia stop

The Inn of the Good Shepherd is adding a new stop to its seasonal mobile market.

Starting July 4, fresh produce will be available weekly at 15 locations in Sarnia, Petrolia, Corunna, Aamjiwnaang, Kettle Point, Lambton Shores, Wyoming, Alvinston and Watford, giving people in need access to healthy food every week, said Myles Vanni.

Adding the YMCA Jerry McCaw Center on Finch Avenue, Tuesdays, 2 p.m. to 3 pm in Sarnia, means the market may reach even more people than the nearly 1,000 a week who came out in 2022Vanni said.

“Particularly with inflation now, eating healthy isn’t cheap,” said Vanni, noting free mobile market food is available to people with food bank cards, Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, senior or student documentation.

“People need to eat healthy every week,” he said about the impetus behind the mobile market program that’s been running since 2011.

Food bank access is monthly, he said.

About half the cost of the $60,000 to $70,000 program is covered by sponsors Pembina and Cestar, Vanni said.

Also, about half the expected 6,000 pounds of food per week is donated from local farms, greenhouses and the food bank network, he said.

So “the value is significantly more than that.”

The program runs until the end of October, and could continue into November at Sarnia stops depending on weather and supply, Vanni said.

A Noelle’s Gift and Food Banks Canada-sponsored After the Bell snack pack program that provides children with 21 snacks a week, including fruit and dairy items, also is returning, he said.

The program is about filling the void in the summer for students who rely on in-school nutrition programs, he said.

“The whole focus is around giving people a healthier lifestyle,” he said, noting officials with Lambton Public Health, Canadian Mental Health Association and others also will be at mobile market stops to talk about things such as diabetes and smoking cessation, and answer people’s issues.

“Lots of clients wouldn’t necessarily have regular access to a family doctor,” Vanni said.

“So, this gives them the ability to connect with nurses, health promoters, and be more engaged that way.”

Locations in Sarnia are selected so they’re near low-income or social housing, he said, while locations in smaller Lambton communities are centrally located.

Mondays

Tuesdays

Wednesdays

Fridays (in Sarnia)

• Roger Street parking lot, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
• Kathleen Avenue parkette, 11 am to noon
• YMCA Career Center, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Veterans Park, 2-3 p.m.