J & W Murphy Foundation donated $525,000 over five years to The North Grove.
The North Grove supports the community and offers a wide range of family support, food and advocacy programs for those experiencing poverty and has seen a dramatic increase in all its food-related programming over the past few months.
This includes:
- A 70% increase in the number of people attending community meals since January 2023.
- A 100% increase since January in trading cupboard visits, where participants access non-perishable food, diapers, toiletries and toilet paper. Numbers have climbed significantly every month, reaching an unprecedented 179 visits in August.
- A 135% increase in shoppers at its subsidized produce market. The North Grove subsidizes produce prices to make fresh food more accessible to people experiencing food insecurity. In 2022, the weekly market had an average of 85 shoppers. In May 2023 the average number of shoppers was 200.
“This has been such a difficult year for the community, economically and emotionally. This generous, multi-year gift from the J & W Murphy Foundation, along with the support of so many other donors, is an assurance to The North Grove community that we are here for you, no matter what” said Doug Townsend, Board Chair of The North Grove.
The North Grove offers support to the entire community through prenatal programs, child development and parenting support, food programs, volunteer opportunities as well as additional services.
It also runs a 20,000 square foot Community Farm, outdoor courtyard and play space. More than half of its $2.1 million budget comes from donors, foundation and corporate sponsors.
“This funding comes at an important point, as The North Grove tries to expand our services and our reach to meet the growing need,” says Executive Director, Wendy Fraser. “We’re partnering with more organizations to bring in additional resources; we’re bringing in more volunteers to help out, and we’re asking all of our donors to consider an increase in their support so we can continue to support this community.”
The J & W Murphy Foundation has supported The North Grove since 2020.
The North Grove has been in service for more than 25 years.
