Saturday at the Farmer’s Market

I usually spend Saturday at the Farmer’s Market. This week I was working instead of socializing over coffee and french toast. I handed out 500 Campaign of Hope flyers and received great feedback from the shoppers.

One woman laughed that her children got the message in the sign: Stop Taking Money from People in Wheelchairs.

The Charlottetown Farmer’s Market has been going for decades. It has become not just a place to buy organic produce and other food items. It is a year-round Saturday social event. There are just as many food vendors as there are produce vendors. The high and the low of Charlottetown and environs like to pass the time on Saturday there over cappuccino or fresh coffee.

The patrons revel in the social atmosphere and conversation. I’ve gone there in a group or alone and always meet old friends and make new acquaintances. Want to know what’s happening? Mingle at the Charlottetown Farmer’s Market.

Saturday was windy and cold. The prediction was rain which would have been devastating to handing out flyers but it stayed dry. The flyer synthesizes all our messages: 18,000 Islanders with disabilities aren’t covered by the Disabity Support Program so ask your election candidate if he/she supports reform.

Despite the cold people were in an upbeat mood. One man who rushed by me came back and talked about his brother who got Post Polio Syndrome. A woman stopped to ask for help for her son who got turned down for Disability Support Program assistance. Another woman wanted to donate.

There were lots of friendly smiles and encouragement to keep up the good work. One woman laughed that her children got the message in the sign: Stop Taking Money from People in Wheelchairs.

Danny Murphy drove by three times until he stopped near enough to reach out for a flyer and ask what the sign meant. We talked about the need for more support beyond the $168,000 he helped Rotary raise this spring. The government in the budget promised to return $900,000 and we still need another $10 million. All money goes into the same pot, helping Islanders with disabilities.

Catherine Hennessey rushed by. Tim Banks was another rushing soul. Shawn Murphy offered to get me a coffee. Some people, despite having both hands full with groceries or food, would lift a finger and take the flyer. Jeanette MacAulay, Deputy Minister and one of the government officials involved in the DSP cutbacks, smiled and her husband took the flyer.

After 2 hours in the cold, my body was starting to shut down so I went inside for lunch and a coffee. I went outside afterwards to hand out the last 100 flyers and then pack it in. I could have stayed for two more hours but that was enough. Another day of social activism for the disabled complete.