FOOD SECURITY
What IS food security?
-
Definition: Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
-
Complex and multifaceted concept that encompasses the availability, access, utilization, and stability of food within a population
-
Related to poverty as food is the first expense to be cut out when one is struggling financially
-
Disproportionally impacts vulnerable and marginalized individuals
What IS the Westside Food Collaborative (WFC)?
WFC is a neighbourhood food network of organizations, groups and individuals working towards supporting community food security and hosted by Kitsilano Neighbourhood House.
Mission:
-
WFC will coordinate efforts, build collective capacity and form a unified voice of community service organizations providing food supports to the Westside residents.
-
Through coordinated collective impact efforts, we will work to improve availability and access to adequate food resources for the most vulnerable community members.
-
Together, we will work towards addressing the underlying factors leading to food insecurity, to advance the vision for a just and sustainable food system for all.
The WFC Facebook website and Instagram webpage document its many community activities and contributions. They keep Westside neighbourhood residents up to date with events, resources and several significant reports that it has produced to further its Mission.
What has WFC accomplished?
The Kitsilano Neighbourhood House 5-year strategic planning process for 2021-2024 named its top three priorities to include “additional programs to meet the needs of underserved groups in the community”, and among other programs,”an action to develop a food security program for seniors.”
2021 Kitsilano Neighbourhood House became a fiscal sponsor of the WFC with a City of Vancouver Sustainable Food Systems Grant. That funding supported a part-time Community Food Developer, Ksenia Stepkina (7hrs/week), who was tasked with coordinating collaborative efforts and food security initiatives among existing members of the Westside Food Collaborative. Representatives of a dozen diverse organizations involved in growing, distributing, and/or preparing food for Westside residents since 2009 now meet monthly to share and coordinate their activities.
2021 Thinner and Thinner:Westside Food Asset Need and Scan report demonstrated the need for collaborative and comprehensive approaches to addressing food insecurity in the community.
2022 WFC Strategic Planning Case Study identified strengths and weaknesses to guide further planning.
2023 Food For All: Seniors' Food Security in Vancouver’s Westside Community Dialogue Report with details of community engagement sessions and partipants' recommendations.
2024 Free and Low-cost Community Food Resources-Westside updated periodically.
How is the Westside Seniors Hub involved with the Westside Food Collaborative?
Updates listed with most recent first.
June 2024 City of Vancouver Sustainable Food Systems Grant Funding Interim Report discussed. Update on a volunteer's Crowdzest/Citronicity organizational asset mapping among WFC partners.
May 2024 Westside Food Fair roles, task list and budget discussed.
April 30, 2024 At monthly WFC meeting, Neighborhood Food Democracy Report presented at monthly meeting identified neighborhood priorities, generated a list of recommendations and analyzed efficacy of the participatory food asset mapping and focus group discussion.
March 26, 2024: Monthly WFC meeting shared details of the Phase 1 strategic planning themes and Phase 2 proposed next steps for WFC collective action with WSH Partners and other interested community organizations.
March 4, 2024: Phase 1 strategic planning session, co-hosted by WFC and KCCA and facilitated by Brad Beattie to develop shared priorities and collaborative approaches around food security.
November 2023-February 2024 Brainstorming session with members of WFC, WSH Council, KNH, and KCCA for next steps. Funding provided by KCCA for a facilitated scoping contract with Facilitator, Brad Beattie, POP The People Agency.
October 2023 WFC’s Community Food Developer, Ksenia Stepkina, presented the Collaborative’s work and Food for All report findings at the Quarterly meeting of the Hub's Partner Organizations. WSH Partners want to explore how their food-related activities can be integrated with the programs and services offered by WFC members.The Kitsilano Community Centre Association (KCCA) offered to support further integration of Hub Partners’ food-related activities with those of WFC and fund meeting facilitation.
*************************
We’re building community capacity to improve food security for Westside seniors
and YOU can help!
Visit Kitsilano Neighborhood House's WFC webpage here and WFC’s Facebook website for upcoming opportunities to participate in programs, events and activities.