Food Security A Snapshot of Food Security Efforts in CKL By: Aisha Malik, RD HKPR District Health Unit

Outline  What is Food Security  Strategies of Building Community Food Security  CKL Food Security Related Initiatives  What You Can Do to Help

What is Food Security?  Food Security exists when all people, at all times, have access to adequate amounts of nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate foods.  Food Security means that the people who produce foods are able to earn a living wage.

Causes of Food Insecurity  Income insecurity – low income  Unaffordable housing  Unaffordable childcare  Unaffordable and/or lack of transportation

Strategies for Change Short Term Relief Community Development Systems Change FOOD SECURITY CONTINUUM

Emergency & Short-Term Relief Address immediate issue of hunger  Food banks  Soup kitchens Examples in CKL  KL Food Source  14 Food Banks  Sunday Suppers and Community Soup Kitchen at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

Community Development by Community Action  Engage communities in improving local food security  Individual and community skill-building  Examples include:  Community kitchens  Community gardens  Farmers’ markets  Buy local campaigns

Community Development by Community Action Examples in CKL: ~8 Community Gardens CKL United Way Kit Program - 5 School Gardens COME GROW W COME GROW WITH US!! ITH US!!

Community Development by Community Action Examples in CKL: 7 Cooking Skills Programs

Community Development by Community Action Examples in CKL: CKL Food For Kids Program

Community Development by Community Action Examples in CKL: Plant a Row Grow A Row Program Good Food Box- Community Care

Community Development by Community Action Cooking Skill Programs: The aim is to teach healthy cooking skills, budgeting and benefits of healthy eating to CKL community  “Cooking for one or two” classes for seniors’ once/month in Lindsay ( Community Care Health Center and Health Unit)  “Make and Take” Cooking/Canning/Gardening Program once/week in Lindsay ( Salvation Army Lindsay and Health Unit)  Baby Food Making workshop: Offered quarterly to new moms (Health Unit and local churches)  Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program Ontario Early Years Centre and Health Unit  Ontario Early Years – Several programs offer collective kitchen once a month or quarterly  Towards a Healthy Future- John Howard Youth Cooking Skills Program  St. James Angelican Church Community Kitchen

Systems Change Aim to make changes to policy that build food security Develop supportive, healthy public policy

Systems Change Examples include: Food Security Networks Food Charters Food Policy Organizations In CKL:

What You Can Do to Help  Donate healthy food or funds to local school nutrition programs and food banks  Start a community garden or kitchen  Plant a Row Grow a Row and donate  Buy from your local famers  Join Food Coalitions/Networks

Thank you Aisha Malik, RD Public Health Dietitian HKPR District Health Unit Ph: (705) ext. 2300