Have you heard of the Proximité card?
Last Saturday, at the Sutton market, the “Proximité solidarity card” initiative was launched, through which prepaid cards were distributed free of charge to more than 30 households (representing more than 75 people). With this card, they can buy fresh, healthy food at the market from local producers of vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, and honey.
This project is part of the initiative launched last March by the Town to fight food insecurity.
Supported by Carrefour solidaire center communautaire d’alimentation (CCA) and piloted by Dana Cooper, coordinator of concerted food security projects for the Town and also director of the Sutton Market, the Carte proximité program received over $13,000 in funding from the NPO Sutton Saturday Market and the Royal Canadian Legion Sutton Branch. Cards were also purchased by residents to help reduce stigma and raise awareness of the issue of food security in our community. In 24 hours, $2,000 was raised to support the 2026 program!
The participating farms presently are: Jardins de Tessa, Les potagers Les nues mains, le Rizen, ferme Radicelle, as well as La petite Bergerie, Windy Rock farm and Miel Missiskoui. Thank you to them!
In the same spirit of solidarity and sharing, the owners of Bleuets du Massif Sutton on Route 139, Michèle Moisan-Girard and Robert Girard, generously offer free blueberry picking to Carte proximité holders. Although their farm has been closed to the public since 2023, they wanted to make a portion of their land available for food-insecure people to pick blueberries. Many thanks to them for their inspiring gesture!
Upcoming fundraising campaign
A wider awareness and fundraising campaign around food insecurity will be launched in August to help support this great initiative, which has the dual aim of providing access to fresh, healthy food and encouraging local purchasing.
It definitely takes a village!