Food co-op offers healthy meals at good price

Locals living on a tight budget can get 21 healthy meals for only $30 thanks to a recently opened Second Avenue food co-op.

The non- profit Mountain Valley Mission Food Co-op is run by an Anglican pastor and his wife, who recently moved from Pender Harbour, B.C. to serve the Squamish community.

Rev. Barclay Mayo modeled the Mountain Valley Mission Food Co-op after a similar program his colleague runs in Vancouver, called Partners in Hope.

"It deals with a group of people who don't want to be on the street but are constantly struggling just to survive," said Mayo.

The couple chose to serve Squamish for several reasons, including the fact that their son's family lives in town.

"We almost moved here 25 years ago and didn't so we've actually always had a heart for this place and just didn't quite get here," said Mayo.

"But from a spiritual perspective, every time I'd come up here, I'd come up over the hill by Murrin [Lake] there and my heart would just start racing so I thought 'well maybe this is where I need to be. I think the Lord called me here, personally."

With approximately 60 per cent of Squamish's population being under the age of 40, Mayo said there's a demographic of people who work to earn a living but might not be able to make ends meat from time to time due to unsteady work or increasing food costs - the working poor.

However, he said, this program is designed to help anyone who needs it, not just single moms, pensioners or the unemployed.

"Anybody is welcome. We focused and designed the food co-op for people who are in the low-income area but anyone can come, anyone can help and anyone can be a member. There's no stigma involved it's just smart shopping and smart budgeting basically."

A general food package includes pork chops, ham, bacon, beef patty, stewing beef, ground beef, chicken, corn, peas, potatoes, carrots, onions broccoli, bananas, apples, oranges, perogies, margarine, milk, eggs, bread, juice, soup, tuna, cereal and more.

A fruit and veggie package, a dry goods package or a meat package are also available, each costing only $30 or to supplement the week's meal, several $15 general, fruit and veggie, dry goods and meat packages are also available.

"We can probably save them $20 or $30 a week they can put somewhere else."

The Mountain Valley Mission can afford to sell quality food are relatively inexpensive prices thanks to buying in bulk, searching out sales and getting price breaks from local store owners.

"We could have gone to Vancouver and got things a lot cheaper but we didn't want to do that. We wanted to make sure that we were dealing with local merchants and keep the whole thing in Squamish for Squamish," said Mayo.

Orders are placed by calling 604-567-7400 on Tuesday or before 6 p.m. on Wednesday for a delivery on Saturday morning.

The pastor's wife Mary said the co-op is looking for volunteers to help out with the packaging.

"We're doing packaging on Thursday night and Friday during the day and we deliver Saturday morning so that leaves it open for a variety of people to help, if you work during the day maybe you can help on Saturday or you can help on Thursday night if you have children in school you can help Friday during the day or that type of thing."

Mayo said he and his wife are currently focused on serving people in the community and rather than establishing a church.

"It's not about building a church, it's about being in the community and serving the community."

The first church service lead by Mayo is scheduled to be held at Mountain Valley Mission located at 3779 Second Ave. on Sunday May 25.

Anyone interesting in volunteering, becoming a member or donating food can contact Mayo at 604-567-7400.