New Westminster City Council gives thousands to help low income families buy veggies

NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS 1130)-  New Westminster City Council is giving 10- thousand dollars for gift certificates for "at risk" and "less fortunate" families to buy produce at local famers markets.

Jen Arbo is the Operations Manager for the Royal City Farmers Market.

She says each family chosen gets a 15- dollar gift certificate to use every week at a local market throughout the summer.

She says a lot of those people, including new immigrants who aren't familiar with our local produce, don't know how to use it.

"They're also being given instruction on what to do with that food. Some new canadians tell us that they don't know what to do with some of the produce that grows locally. And so they choose not to eat it. they find, you know, other possibly less nutritious food."

She also says there are conditions on what the families can buy

"Yeah. So the money is only good for fresh produce, meats, dairy, seafood, bread and honey, and also unprocessed nuts."

The program was initially funded by the provincial government two years ago, but was cut last year.