Projects focus on testing wrap-around services
for food bank users, scaling a grocery card model, and funding to
advance food sovereignty in First Nations communities
MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 28,
2022 /PRNewswire/ - (TSX: MFI) The Maple Leaf Centre
for Action on Food Security ("the Centre") today announced over
$800,000 worth of commitments to
three partnerships with organizations seeking to alleviate food
insecurity across Canada.
Ottawa Food Bank will leverage the findings from a
Centre-supported research project to test and scale holistic,
"wrap-around" support services for food bank clients, including
employment services, mental health care, financial capability
support, and language education. Carrefour Solidaire Community Food
Centre ("Carrefour Solidaire CFC") will scale the Carte Proximité
program in Montreal, which seeks
to increase the financial accessibility of fresh and prepared foods
through reloadable charge cards. The Northern Manitoba Food,
Culture, and Community Collaborative ("NMFCCC") will grow their
granting to grassroots and community partners across the province,
support shared learning, and engage in community and strategic
planning.
"These new project investments cover a range of supports for
people experiencing food insecurity across Canada," from Sarah
Stern, Leader of the Centre. "We're honoured to partner with
these organizations to address the immediate needs of people
experiencing food insecurity and to learn how to effect longer term
changes. As a first step, we continue to advocate for the
Federal Government to set a target to reduce food insecurity by at
least 50% by 2030."
"People who access food banks deserve help for the core reasons
that brought them to the food bank in the first place," said
Rachael Wilson, CEO of Ottawa Food
Bank. "With the support of the Centre, we will learn how to provide
that help across the Ottawa Food Bank network and meet clients and
community partners where they're at."
"After testing out the Carte Proximité model, we're excited to
scale the program with support from the Centre and provide more
families with access to fruits and vegetables in a more dignified
way," said Marie-Claude Morin
Ouellet, Executive Co-Director of Carrefour Solidaire CFC.
"We know the strongest predictor of food insecurity is lack of
income. While these cards can't replace policy change, they are one
step in the right direction."
"This continued support from the Centre will help communities in
Northern Manitoba advance food
security and sovereignty in their regions," said Julie Price of the NMFCCC. "Not only through
grants, but in the shared learning that takes place between
supporters, Northern advisors, community members, and staff."
With these new projects, the Centre has made granting
commitments close to $9 million since
its launch in late 2016. In addition to this, the Centre advocates
for critical public policies and invests in research that advance
the capacity of people and communities to achieve food security.
You can learn more about the Centre's work at
www.feedopportunity.com.
About the Ottawa Food Bank
The Ottawa Food Bank is the main emergency food provider in the
National Capital Region, which works in partnership with a network
of 112 community food programs to provide food and kindness for
tens of thousands of people each month – 36 per cent of whom are
children. With a focus on fresh, and thanks to the community's
support, on average 12 to 14 tons of food is distributed from
their warehouse every weekday. For more information regarding the
Ottawa Food Bank and how you can help provide healthy, accessible,
sustainable food for all, please visit www.ottawafoodbank.ca
About Carrefour Solidaire
Carrefour Solidaire strives to promote the food security of the
residents in Montreal, centering
their work around shared values of social inclusion, well-being,
popular education, healthy eating, and the power to act. With more
than 500 active members, the Carrefour's vision is to build a
nourishing community where all members have access to good food in
solidarity with each other. Carrefour Solidaire Community Food
Centre is a partner site of Community Food Centres Canada, a
national nonprofit working to address the root causes of food
insecurity. To learn more about Carrefour Solidaire, visit
https://www.carrefoursolidaire.org.
About the Northern Manitoba Food, Culture, and Community
Collaborative
The Northern Manitoba Food, Culture and Community Collaborative
(NMFCCC) is a collaborative of people from northern communities,
northern advisors, funders and organizations working together to
foster healthier and stronger communities in northern Manitoba through improved access to healthy
foods and resilient local economies. Neighbourhood gardens and
farms, wild food programs, bee apiaries, fishing co-operatives and
greenhouses are just some of the ways in which northerners are
using food to build community, improve health, create opportunity
for youth and strengthen local economies. To learn more about the
NMFCCC, visit http://www.nmfccc.ca/.
About the Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security
(www.feedopportunity.com)
The Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security is a national
charity committed to working collaboratively to reduce food
insecurity in Canada by 50% by
2030. The Centre advocates for structural policy solutions and
invests in knowledge building and programs that advance the
capacity of people and communities to achieve sustainable food
security. The Centre was established in 2016 and is governed by a
board of directors, including four independent experts.
Follow us on Twitter:
@MapleLeafFoods
@FeedOpportunity
@OttawaFoodBank
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SOURCE The Maple Leaf Centre For Action On Food Security