La Garde: A global project for healthy eating
The Jardins familiaux now provide fresh vegetables to the Saint François solidary grocery store through a new partnership.
A partnership allows harvests from the Jardins familiaux to benefit the Saint François solidary grocery store. Tomatoes, zucchinis, bell peppers, and freshly picked cucumbers now fill the baskets of food aid beneficiaries.
The Centre communal d’action sociale (CCAS) initiated an unprecedented collaboration between the gardeners of the Jardins familiaux, located at the Espace nature départemental du Plan, and the Saint François solidary grocery store. This operation aims to provide fresh, seasonal produce to the most vulnerable residents while creating a solidary short food supply chain.
“By creating a link between the Jardins familiaux and the Saint François solidary grocery store, the Ville and the CCAS continue their commitment to healthy eating for the most vulnerable populations,” recalled Hélène Arnaud-Bill, the first magistrate.
A first educational harvest
This initiative is part of a larger program entitled “Taking pleasure in eating while being a beneficiary of food aid is possible!”. Led by the Saint François association, the L’Économe association, and the CCAS of the town, this project ran from September 2025 to July of this year.
Its ambition is to facilitate access to quality products and, above all, to guide beneficiaries toward culinary independence through practical workshops. Indeed, a balanced and tasty diet is possible, even with a limited budget.
The launch of this partnership took place on July 2. Volunteers from the solidary grocery store visited the Jardins familiaux to collect the gardeners’ generous donations of vegetables.
On July 3, a distribution was organized at the association's premises. The event took place in the presence of Hélène Arnaud-Bill, mayor of La Garde, and Marie-Hélène Charles, her deputy delegate for solidarity, marking the municipality's support for this initiative.
Finally, to complete the distribution, the L’Économe association hosted a culinary demonstration workshop. Participants discovered simple, budget-friendly, and delicious recipes to prepare the vegetables they had just received. A concrete way to remove barriers to cooking fresh produce and to promote the pleasure of eating well.
Photo PRESSE AGENCE.