More people in B.C. will have access to nutritious food
Treska Watson, director of operations, Mustard Seed –
“The funding for the integrated food hub has enabled the Victoria Community Food Hub Society to complete construction of the new food-processing facility and allows Mustard Seed to continue to grow the Food Security Distribution Centre, helping us serve an ever-increasing need in our communities. With this support, we can now focus on the next phase: skills training programs that will create opportunity to strengthen the regional food system, build work experience in the food sector, and decrease barriers to accessing healthy foods.”
Janet Romain, Stellat’en First Nation Wellness Centre –
“Stellat’en First Nation Wellness Centre is so grateful to the Victoria Foundation for being a major contributor on our road to food security. The changes they are helping us make will help ensure our long-term food goals are met.”
James Moch, food security co-ordinator, Southern Stl’atl’imx Charitable Society –
“The funding the South Stl’atl’imx Food Security program received has been essential to enhancing food growing capacities in the four Stl’atl’imx communities. These projects include expanding vegetable gardens and building garden accessory buildings. These projects and activities within this program have a high degree and participation and support from each community and hit many target areas of mental health and wellness, work skills development, Indigenous food security and sovereignty.”
Shannon Turner, executive director, Public Health Association of BC –
“This funding helps to strengthen and sustain important partnerships with municipalities, communities and Indigenous agencies concerned with community food development, community relationships and sustainable practices in food production. We are so grateful for the opportunity to support growth and development encouraging communities to become more food secure and sustainable.
Shelly Crack, Haida Gwaii Food Sovereignty Project –
“The Victoria Foundation funding on Haida Gwaii is helping get people working on food for our community. The funding supports more people to participate in hands on work; harvesting and processing local and traditional food for our schools, hospitals and beyond. Some of the foods we are focusing on are salmon, halibut, cod, prawns, tuna, deer, berries and local vegetables.”
Deidre Goudriaan, program manager, Sources Community Resources –
“We are so pleased to work with the Victoria Foundation in the development and continuation of our warehouse worker training that helps people train, and develop skills (pallet jack, forklift and food safe training) to work in the warehouse setting effectively. These skills support the development of Sources Regional Food Hub and help us build our capacity to address food security across the communities of Surrey, Langley and White Rock. We have provided more than 3.7 million kilograms of food to the local community and almost 1.5 million meals, and helped those workers secure employment in warehousing.”