It’s a good food (and news!) story. HSCA is pleased to announce that we have joined Community Food Centres Canada’s Good Food Organizations program, for the fourth year, to showcase our commitment to offering impactful community food programs based in principles of health, empowerment, and respect. With over 130 other Good Food Organizations and eight Community Food Centres across the country, we are working toward a healthy and fair food system.
Launched in 2014, the Good Food Organizations program offers access to tools and resources, customized training, attendance at an annual conference, and chances to network and promote shared priorities. By working together through a set of shared principles, this important initiative connects HSCA to like-minded and progressive organizations across the country that are using food to tackle problems of poor health, inequality, hunger, and poverty.
HSCA offers a number of food programs which include, a weekly year-round farmers’ market, community gardens and Fresh Food Basket, a weekly food access program for residents struggling to access fresh food. Good food is present in many of our other programs as well. These include, meals and snacks made from scratch in our childcare programs, and a healthy, vegetarian dinner served at Neighbour Night each week.
“The Good Food Organizations program provides support and inspiration to organizations across the country — community health centres, food banks, community markets, and many others — that are doing important grassroots food work,” said Kathryn Scharf COO for Community Food Centres Canada. We have seen how when community food programs foreground healthy food in a dignified setting that offers meaningful opportunities for engagement, there can be a profoundly positive impact on people’s health and overall well-being. We want to amplify these outcomes to build a national case for an investment in healthy food for all.”
We are proud to be a Good Food Organization working towards a healthy and fair food system in alliance with Community Food Centres Canada. We are joining a growing network of like-minded organizations across Canada who share a commitment to offering healthy and dignified food programs in their communities.