Some folks, myself included, did knot know we had a community produce market in Frankford. All the best neighborhoods have one. It takes a group of dedicated volunteers to run something like that and I found those volunteers last Friday at the Allen M. Stearne Elementary School on Unity Street. I was tipped off by Tracy O’Drain at the Frankford CDC and decided I had to have a look.
Mrs. Taylor, Janice Gillyard, Mrs. Williams and the student volunteers
I was checking in at the school office where I met John Loftus of the Northeast Times. Be sure to read his story this week. He is a much better writer than I will ever be and has a professional photographer following him around too. After I was cleared, I met Minister Janice Gillyard, Administrator of the Word of Faith Christian Center.
The event of the day was to see two sixth grade classes honored in a special assembly for the work that they have done working with the Faithfully Fresh Community Produce Market. The project was started in September of 2008 with this group of 27 students bagging produce, setting up displays and providing customer service for the market. The customers are their fellow students and teachers and some neighbors who take advantage of the mission of Faithfully Fresh which is to make healthy eating affordable for all.
The complete line of fruits and vegetables are sold for under $2.00. The hours are from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM on Fridays. Individual pieces of fruit are sold to kindergarten through sixth grade students at prices ranging from a dime to fifty cents. With all of the talk about childhood obesity, this may help. At least the young students have an opportunity to make healthier decisions about the foods that they eat.
Volunteers setting up the market
I was impressed with these kids. I’ve been in a few very good elementary schools over the last few years and this group was as well behaved as the best that I have seen. Kudos to their teachers and Mrs Vaughn the principal for a great job.
The Faithfully Fresh Community Produce Market Operates under the auspices of A Work of Faith Community Development Corporation, a faith-based private, nonprofit corporation also known as Work of Faith. It was established in 2002 with a mission to improve the quality of life for families in the Delaware Valley by providing access to social and educational services through collaboration with neighborhood schools and community and city agencies.
The market also operates at the Word of Faith Christian Center, 4355 Paul St. on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and in front of Womrath Park on Friday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
If you would like more information about this story you may contact: Minister Janice Gillyard, Administrator, Word of Faith Christian Center, 4355 Paul St. at 215-288-9690.
Hero: In the Spirit of Alex Scott” Award for her work making healthy and affordable foods available to struggling families by founding the Faithfully Fresh Community Produce Market. The market provides fresh fruits and vegetables to inner city Philadelphia neighborhoods with nothing being sold over $2.
