Hieke Morton: Gathering Markit
It is not just about food, it’s about affordable groceries affording people in need with dignity and hope.
“The gap between a retail grocery store and an emergency food service is massive. We are filling that gap, we are for the families who are trapped in between,” says Hieke Morton, owner and founder of Gathering Markit.
Gathering Markit is a nonprofit grocery store in Abbotsford, BC. This unique boutique grocery store offers a hand up to people facing food insecurity. It provides a choice in what struggling families can purchase, giving back the dignity to make decisions about what goes on the table for their family. It is purposely crafted as a beautiful space to protect families from feeling “less than” and show that they are worthy of high quality food-no matter where life’s circumstances have brought them.
The Gathering Markit receives donated and rescued food and turns it into all kinds of kits: meal kits, baking kits, smoothie kits, lunch kits, etc. They source the recipes, measure and prepare the ingredients and package it for people to cook for their families in 30 minutes or less. If you know anything about traditional meal prep kits, you know it’s not cheap. Yet, that’s the beauty of this nonprofit grocery store. Each meal kit is sold for five dollars, serving a family of four.
All other food items sold in the boutique are priced around 70-80% off, offering affordable options alongside the kits. Put simply, Gathering Markit makes good food go far.
For Hieke, food insecurity is personal.
“When my kids were little, I was unable to put food on the table. I had to rely on handouts and I hated every minute of that.” Hieke was at rock bottom due to a series of different challenges. At that stage in her life, she had no choice as to what she put on the table for her children and often struggled to know how to cook and prepare the different foods donated to her, even though she was a red seal chef. It was in these moments that she felt stripped of her dignity.
Experiencing rock bottom firsthand is what motivated her to start a social enterprise. She knew that if she ever overcame her circumstances, she wanted to help other struggling families thrive with dignity, despite their challenges. These moments were the basis for starting her social venture Gathering Markit.
Put simply, Gathering Markit makes good food go far.
The Early Successes and Pitfalls
While life continued to give Hieke challenges, eventually her circumstances gave way to a season of stability. At one point, she felt God gave a “green light” and it was time to launch her venture.
“When I decided to take this leap I was teaching full time. I brought my grade 12 foods class students here, to the Gathering Markit space, and I food safe certified them all. They were actually my first volunteers,” she remembers fondly. Even before she knew where the food sources were coming from, there was a lot of momentum around her vision.
“The cost of groceries causes more and more families to struggle finding access to affordable food. This nonprofit grocery store was a solution that just made sense.” The early days of her store was a very inspiring time. Hieke loved riding the wave of enthusiasm in those around her. The more people she spoke to, the more validation she got.
However, as exciting as starting Gathering Markit was, the business side of the enterprise needed some TLC. Looking back, there were a couple of pitfalls that she could have avoided had she known then what she knows now.
“When I started, I anticipated this small cute market that I could do off the side of my plate and it grew quicker than I expected.” Within 6 months, she had to be ready to quit her full-time job as a teacher and be totally devoted to the Gathering Markit. The level of need exceeded what she had anticipated in the first season of opening. Even with good intentions, the needs outpaced what her and her board members were equipped to handle.
“I suggest having someone walk alongside you and tell you how to choose the right board members, volunteers, and staff based on the distinct seasons and needs of your social venture” she says.
Speaking of catch up, another challenge she faced was falling behind with accounting and bookkeeping. Recognizing her strengths and limitations, she quickly saw the importance of bringing in someone skilled in accounting to keep the finances on track. She recognized her strengths and limits and quickly learned the value of having someone whose strength was accounting.
“Have that ‘numbers person’ right out of the gate,” she suggests. Rather than trying to do it all, hire out. When running a social enterprise, those gaps can grow fast, and it’s better to start out ahead than have to backtrack.
While the business side ebbed and flowed with challenges and successes, one thing that never failed was God’s provision.
Faith alongside good and healthy relationships with partners has helped keep the shelves stocked at Gathering Markit for hundreds of customers at multiple locations.
A Feast From Heaven
What’s the most important thing one needs when opening a nonprofit grocery market? The food of course!
“When I first started, I did not have a food source that was supplying us yet. I hadn’t solidified any of that. I was just trusting that God was going to bring the food.” And God did. In the very first month after opening, Gathering Markit received a $20,000 grant from United Way, providing crucial support to get started.
“That was a game changer. It felt like a massive win that kick started our market when I couldn’t have imagined where that food was going to come from.” Even now, on days when they need a certain ingredient or are running low on an item, God always provides.
“We pray for something and the heavens open up and God provides more than we even know what to do with. That’s part of what’s made it so much of an amazing ride. I can take zero credit for this.” Bringing faith alongside good and healthy relationships with partners (who supply food and monetary donations) has helped keep the shelves stocked at Gathering Markit for hundreds of customers at multiple locations.
People are finding more than affordable food, they are finding friendship, connection, community, and support.
Hope for the Future
Hieke knew intimately what it was like to experience food insecurity and need support. She knew the desperation it caused and that the old ways of “fixing” the problem risked taking away the little dignity that people in need felt they had left. It was in her own darkest moments that she felt the call from God to offer hope through Gathering Markit.
“When do you need hope? You need hope when everything has fallen apart and you feel like you’ve got nothing.”
She sees the future as not just a solution to food insecurity, but providing hope.
“What people are finding is more than affordable food. They are finding friendship, connection, community, and support.” When the families walk through their market doors with heavy hearts, they can share their stories with the workers and volunteers. Gathering Markit can simultaneously provide physical and emotional support.
“We’ve been partnering with churches and that’s where the ministry piece comes into play and makes this more of a success.” Stories like that of Linda—an elderly volunteer who visits the home of a struggling single mom to help with laundry—give Hieke the strength to push through business challenges and keep going. It becomes full circle care, and that to Hieke is true success.