Victoria free-food market looking for new permanent home

A free food market that has been serving people from the Quadra Village Community Centre for the last decade is on the hunt for a new location.

Living Edge will hold its last food market day at the centre on Aug. 26. Living Edge said it received notice from the community centre saying the organization won’t be able to operate from the 901 Kings Rd. location after August. However, the centre has offered to let Living Edge run their Thursday market in the gym across the street until they transition to a permanent home.

Rev. Neil van Heerden, Living Edge’s executive director, said the community wants the organization to still have a market presence in the Quadra neighbourhood. Over 100 people line up for food at the centre every Thursday, he said, and sometimes that number has reached up to 170.

“A lot of our volunteers want to keep it going, I’d love to keep it going in that area, the people coming to get food would love to keep it going,” van Heerden said. “For some people, it’s vital that we keep it going, some people are dependant on what we give.”

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He reiterated that the absence of the market would have an devastating impact on the Quadra community. The organization is hoping people will reach out with tips on places in the neighbourhood that could permanently accommodate their operation.

Living Edge works to hand out vegetables and other fresh items as much as possible and Heerden said the organizations has vans available to pick up extra food that stores have.

The Living Edge market at Central Baptist Church (833 Pandora Ave.) will continue to operate Mondays from 5 to 6 p.m. In September, the temporary market across the street from the Quadra Village Community Centre will operate from 11 a.m. to noon on Thursdays.

Any store or organization wanting to set up a food pick up can email neil@livingedge.ngo or info@livingedge.ngo.