Welcome to reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace, your only Downtown Duncan grocery store!
reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace
is a dignified and inclusive grocery store that offers affordable fresh produce, pantry staples, organic dairy products, as well as a line of homemade frozen meals, soups and desserts. We are located in the heart of Duncan in The Station building at 360 Duncan Street.
Our mission is to increase access to Fresh, Healthy Food.
Recover
We recover excess food by connecting with local food retailers and farmers.
Share
We share nutritious food through our collective partnerships.
Nourish
We nourish our community through increased access to fresh, healthy food.
reTHINK Zero Waste
On February 1st 2022, reFRESH Marketplace launched reTHINK, an affordable zero waste initiative.
In addition to our fresh produce, organic dairy and local meat products, customers are now able to purchase our pre-packaged pantry staples in mason jars that can be reused or returned. These zero waste products are available to all customers, including individuals participating in the reFRESH Coupon Program.
reFRESH Marketplace
360 Duncan Street
Duncan, BC
V9L 3W4
Phone: (250) 748-8506
Email: store@cowichangreencommunity.org
Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10:0AM to 5:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM to 3:00PM
For many years, CGC has strived to create greater access to nutritional food throughout the Cowichan Region.
With almost one in four children living in poverty, our community has never needed better access to food as much as now. At the same time, we have an overwhelming global food waste problem. Canada alone wastes over 55% of the food it produces, equaling over 35 million tons annually, much of which ends up in landfills creating a large and unnecessary environmental issue.
In early 2018, the Food Recovery Project was established through a Government of British Columbia Job Creation Partnership, to both ‘recover’ food from large food retailers while also servicing the community by delivering this perfectly edible produce to vulnerable community members at no cost.
To date, this now essential community program has redistributed over 500,000lbs of fruit and vegetables to all corners of the Cowichan Region to those who need it most. With a transport vehicle and sufficient cooler and freezer space, the program delivers around 1000lbs of fresh food daily to over 15 local service providers and community organizations.
The Food Recovery Program lies under the umbrella of ‘reFRESH Cowichan’
which utilizes an onsite commercial kitchen and retail space to process and sell a small percentage of the recovered food from specific retailers. This, in turn, covers some of the necessary ongoing operational costs, while making sure all food is directed into a number of sustainable streams.
Latest News
Since March 2020, CGC established the Emergency Food Task Force with a number of other local community organizations, service providers, the school district, non-profits, and the City of Duncan. The Task Force’s goal is to ensure food is distributed to the most vulnerable communities of people affected by the current pandemic, addressing the food insecurity it has generated. A panel of representatives has been meeting weekly via Zoom to discuss food shortages and develop plans to alleviate them as they arise. Getting so many passionate people in a virtual room together has enabled a solution-driven approach to getting food, meals, and support together very quickly.
Program Staff:
- Nathan Harben – Program Supervisor
- – reFRESH Operation Manager
- Mike Elford – Driver & Delivery Coordinator
If you would like any more information on the project or would like to donate time or money to this project, please contact Program Supervisor Nathan Harben at nathan@cowichangreencommunity.org or 250 748 8506
reFRESH Coupon Program
The reFRESH Cowichan Coupon Program was initiated as a direct result of Covid-19 and the challenges it made to accessing fresh, nutritious food for many of our community members. The program provides 100 low-income families, seniors, and individuals a weekly $25 voucher to shop for groceries in the reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace. The weekly coupons can be used for almost all grocery items, including organic dairy, pantry staples, local meat, homemade frozen meals, and a wide variety of recovered produce.
Click below to learn more about this program, our funders and how you can support us.
One of CGC’s priorities is to secure further funding to keep this crucial program going. Please connect with us if you would like to make a donation.
