At The Nourish and Develop Foundation (TNDF), we see every day how community grows when people are given space, support, and a chance to give back.
Gerhard has been a gardener for as long as he can remember—starting as a four-year-old digging potatoes in South Africa, shovel nearly bigger than he was.
Today, he calls Cannington home.
“It’s a nice community. I love the town, I love the river, I love the people. It feels like home.”
Today, Gerhard gives back the way he knows best: by growing and sharing.
When his harvest overflowed, he shared it widely—through the food bank, with neighbours, and across the community.
When he noticed the Seed Library running low, he quietly stepped in—saving and donating hundreds of seeds so others could grow too.
Those seeds didn’t just stay on a shelf.
They were planted by children in TNDF’s food literacy camps and proudly sold at their kid-run farmer’s market.
A simple act of generosity became something bigger.
After a difficult time in 2018, TNDF became a place where he found support.
“If you need help, you can come here.”
At TNDF’s Maple Tree Community Garden, Gerhard grows tomatoes, beans, and peppers—but more importantly, he’s grown something else: connection.
“To have the space to grow my own stuff and get a community experience with like-minded people… I’ve made friends. It’s been awesome.”
Mobile Food Market (MFM)’s influence goes far beyond groceries.
Meet Rejeanne, Betty, June, and Bernice, some of our regular customers at Maple Glen Apartments in Sunderland.
“Mobile Food Market is just great. It gets us down here and together.”
What started as a practical need to bring food access to places where fresh, affordable, and nutritious food is limited has turned into an opportunity to connect and grow community.
“We have a little grocery store in town that we are very grateful for,” shared Rejeanne, “but for those of us that don’t have a vehicle, [the Mobile Food Market] is an alternative.”
“I think [what] we all like most about it,” Rejeanne adds, “[is] coming down for a purpose to socialize and get together.”
“I’m here every time,” June says. “Look at all the people to sit and have lunch with—and you can buy so much stuff.”
“You find what you need, and there’s lots to choose from. You can just pick it up [down here] and carry it [to your apartment],” says Bernice.
Mobile Food Market staff watch the ladies shop arm in arm and week after week, discussing the produce and meal options, and then sitting down to catch up over the hour.
“Which is just the sweetest thing to see.”
What’s happening:
- A community BBQ
- Live music
- Our Mobile Food Market on site
- A seedling sale
- Kid’s Corner activities
- Tours of the food bank
- A community food drive
Spring is a season of gathering—when longer days invite us to linger, share stories, and sit down together around the table.
That’s why we’re opening our doors for another Open House & BBQ on June 9 from 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM!
Last year was amazing—good food, great weather, and even better company.
Like our other community meals, our BBQ will be on a voluntary donation model, so there are no financial barriers to enjoying a delicious meal and connecting with your community.
Everyone is welcome, and everyone is equal at the table.
We serve more than 7,000 community meals every year—nourishing both bodies and the sense of belonging that comes from sharing a table.
Every shared meal is proof that community doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when people show up, sit down together, and make space for one another.
So, bring a friend, break bread with your neighbours, and celebrate the community you help build. See you there!
