Downtown Windsor BIA Extends Food Reclamation Program Through 2024 With Funding From Hydro One
The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association has extended their Good Greens Food Reclamation Program through 2024 with Hydro One’s Energizing Life Community Fund funding. Before receiving the grant, it was unclear if the program could continue past June 2024.
To date, the organization has reclaimed more than 6,400 pounds of fresh produce and served more than 10,000 wholesome meals to vulnerable groups in their local community by enabling caring connections between local farmers, small food businesses and non-profit organizations.
Steeve Bouchard, owner and operator of Bouchard Farms in Harrow, is one of many farmers across Essex County who sells produce at the farmers’ market and sends the excess to the Good Greens Food Reclamation Program, where it is distributed to families in need. Other participating farms are located in Amherstburg, Cottam, Essex, Ruthven and more.
“We put a lot of love into our crops, and when we have a good harvest, it’s very fulfilling for me,” said Steeve Bouchard. “It’s hard for me to understand a lack of fresh produce because it’s so accessible to us here on the farm. We’re overjoyed with the Good Greens Program. It’s a fantastic program, and it’s very humbling. It gets our produce to the people who need it. It means a lot to us, and I know it means a lot to them and their families.”
First introduced in October 2023 as a pilot program, the Good Greens Food Reclamation Program volunteers work with the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market to collect unsold produce, baked goods and preserves that would often be discarded, and instead offers them to organizations like the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Families, and the Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative at a reduced price or as a donation.
“This grant from Hydro One has provided our organization with the funds needed to sustain and grow this vital program so we can continue to support the local economy and low-income residents,” said Chris MacLeod, Chair of Downtown Windsor BIA. “For the families most at risk of food security, Good Greens isn’t just about having enough to eat; it’s about feeling good, having hope, and looking forward to a better future.”
The Downtown Windsor BIA is one of the 35 Indigenous communities, charitable organizations, and municipalities that each received $25,000 through Hydro One’s 2024 Energizing Life Community Fund.
“Hydro One is incredibly proud to support Downtown Windsor BIA’s Good Greens Food Reclamation Program in their work to strengthen the local economy and connect the most vulnerable community members to healthy foods,” said Robert Globocki, Vice President, Customer Experience, Hydro One.
