Ronnie's Cupboard is set up outside the Farmers' Market (Photo by Sheena Roszell)

By Sheena Roszell

ronnie's cupboard

‘Ronnie’s Cupboard’ hopes to feed those in need

Sep 20, 2019 | 1:00 PM

Three ladies from the Farmers’ Market have started to collect food that will be available to people who are living on the streets and are often going without anything to eat.

Darice Rach, one of the women behind ‘Ronnie’s Cupboard’ says the idea started when she saw a young girl, about 17 or 18-years-old going through their dumpster for food.

“(She is) a very, very nice girl, no help, nowhere to go, she’s carrying her belongings around with her. She is taking mats out of our dumpster to sleep on,” she explained. “She needs help and there just aren’t the resources out there to help everyone. So, if we can help someone with some crackers and peanut butter, and that might be all they eat that day, we are definitely willing to do that.”

Inside the cupboard, you can find things like granola bars, apples, juice boxes, bottles of water and other items like toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Rach, who is Co-Manager of the Farmer’s Market, started Ronnie’s Cupboard with her sister-in-law and other Co-Manager Chelsea Rach and Dawn Merrywick, who manages Off the Wheaten Path, a vendor located inside the Farmers’ Market.

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The trio is trying to do a good thing, but not everyone is in favour of the idea. Rach says they have received some backlash, and there have been some comments made to them about not supporting their businesses if they are going to be feeding ‘the drug community’.

She says not everyone that comes to the Farmers’ Market in need of food has a drug problem.

“It’s just really sad,” Rach said speaking of the hungry young girl. “If it was my daughter, I would hope that somebody would help her. If people actually knew the types of people and the amount of people that the Farmers’ Market feeds on a week to week basis, I don’t think people have any idea.”

She says every week some of their vendors will donate their left-over vegetables to Rotary House and other places.

“We want to make sure everybody is eating.”

Those who would like to help can drop off food items that do not need to be refrigerated at the Farmers’ Market.

Off the Wheaten Path in the food court will accept donations Monday to Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Farmers’ Market main office will accept donations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday.