1. Food Insecurity: The Cost of Living
Fireside Chat
Friday December 5, 2008
Advisors on Tap: Jillian Moskal, RD Caroline McAuley, MBA (c)  BSc.RD Healthy Weights Initiative  / Alberta Health Services- East Central Health
Hello. I am Jillian Moskal and this is Caroline McAuley. We are presenting today on a resource developed by the community nutritionists in our region called The Cost of Living Game. It is a resource that was developed to creatively raise awareness around food insecurity in our communities.
Food Insecurity: The Cost of Living
Understanding Perspectives and Influencing Policies

2. Today’s Fireside Chat
Food Insecurity: The Cost of Living – Understanding perspectives and influencing policies
It can be hard to visualize living in low income until you have the opportunity to walk down that path. The community nutritionists of East Central Health Region in Alberta developed an activity highlighting the impact of poverty on making ends meet and specifically in terms of food security. It is a tool created to raise awareness and start a dialogue addressing food insecurity in our own communities. It can be used in a variety of settings from classrooms to boardroom. It is applicable for students, policy makers, practitioners, educators, new colleagues, and anyone working in food insecurity.   We, as citizens in our communities and health professionals need to be strategic and creative in addressing food security. In presenting the bigger picture to support community economic development and healthy public policy, we can affect change!

3. Overview Purpose History Game components Uses Real life example
Opportunities
A quick overview of the presentation today. We will talk a bit more about the purpose and history of the game, what it consists of, how to use it, an example from one of our communities and opportunities that you can seize as a result of the game.

4. Purpose To help participants understand how food insecurity occurs
Challenge myths about food insecurity
To promote brainstorming about solutions to food insecurity
The purpose of the resource is really trifold:
It helps participants to gain an understanding about food insecurity in their own community,
It helps to challenge preconceived notions about food insecurity,
And to foster an environment supporting community driven action.

5. History
“Cost of Eating in Alberta” document created by Community Nutritionists in 2005
Created as a “vehicle” to stimulate discussion of this document
COE document was put together by CN to highlight food insecurity in Alberta. We felt this was especially important since our communities are rurally located and often food insecurity is much more hidden than in urban centers. This game was created by community nutritionists to stimulate discussion around the “Cost of Eating in Alberta” document in 2005.

6. Preface to game What is food security? What is food insecurity?
Do you know anyone who is food insecure?
Are there situations that may place individuals in this condition?
What do we know about food insecurity?
To set the stage of the game, there is usually some preliminary discussion around food security, food insecurity, and if anyone may be food insecure in their community. We also usually discuss how people may become food insecure and what else participants may know about food insecurity. This provides an opportunity to come back at the end of the game and discuss what they have learned.

7. Game board
This is the game board. There are as many game boards as there are circumstances. We have created circumstances set in each of our major communities. The icons correspond with monthly income and monthly expenses.

8. Circumstances
This is an example of one circumstance. It provides information about the size of the family, ages, community setting, and a breakdown of monthly income and expenses. We will come back to this in a few moments.

9. Roadblock
These are the roadblock cards. They help infuse the spontaneity of life into the game. Each of these cards has an event or a situation the group must deal with along the way affecting the financial situation of the family.

10. Playing the game
1. Arrange participants into groups and provide each group with an activity board, a circumstance sheet (example #1, 2 or 3) and a die.
2. Using the play money, place the monthly income amount from each group’s circumstance sheet on the space marked ‘monthly income’ on their activity board. Place the scenario cards that match the circumstance number above the stop sign on each board.
3. Explain to the players that they are to ‘pay’ their bills by placing the dollar amounts outlined in their circumstance sheet on the matching square on the board. Note that they may not be able to pay all of their bills.
These are the instructions for the game.
Divide the participants into groups and have them sit around the game board with a circumstance sheet, a die, and some money.
You place the amount of money as per the circumstance sheet on the corresponding icon on the board. This is effectively “paying the bills”. It is interesting to note what the group decides to do when the don’t have enough money to pay all their bills.

11. Playing the game
4.When the players reach the ‘roadblock’ stop sign have them roll the die to determine the number of scenario cards they need to pick up (minimum 1, maximum 6).
5.Have the teams discuss each scenario and how it affects their ability to pay their bills, buy food or provide for their family.
4. When they reach the road block sign at the end of the trail, they must roll the die and pick that number of circumstance cards.
5. The group then discusses the scenarios and how it affects their budget for the month.

12. After playing the game
When groups are finished discussing, have each group report on their experience.
Use the discussion to inform participants about relevant issues, existing programs and services, and to brainstorm about potential solutions to food insecurity
What did you learn?
What can we do?
Some comments may be:
We have definitely noticed in our communities, increases in the cost of food and housing shortages. The cost of housing is now dropping, and we must now consider low income housing that was started at a higher cost.

13. Example - Vermilion Monthly Income $3640 Monthly Expenses $2443
According to the nutritious food basket costing, this family should be spending $850 for a healthy diet. This would not include personal items, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, etc.
Monthly Income $3640
Monthly Expenses $2443
Difference $ 657

14. After the game
When groups are finished discussing, have each group report on their experience.
Use the discussion to talk about relevant issues, existing programs and services, and to brainstorm about potential solutions to food insecurity
What did you learn?
What can we do?
We have definitely noticed in our communities, increases in the cost of food and housing shortages. The cost of housing is now dropping, and we must now consider low income housing that was started at a higher cost.

15. Opportunities to use the game
Where could you play this game?
Consider who to (and who not to) invite the table
What can this game be used for?
Awareness of the situation
Causes of food insecurity
Advocacy
Create support for local food systems
Schools, multiagency meetings, town meetings, city council meetings, staff meetings,
Stakeholders: students, senior leadership, city council members, policy makers, colleagues and co-workers, community members, etc. NOT for those living in poverty

16. How to customize this for your community?
Contact an agency (such as Social Services) about possible scenarios in your community
Use “Cost of Eating” documents from your province
Contact agencies such as local food banks, early intervention programs to partner to create awareness

17. Questions? For more information, contact:
Jillian Moskal- Community Nutritionist
Caroline McAuley- Health Promotion Facilitator