Welcome to issue #49 of the Grandview Woodland Food Connection E-Newsletter. This newsletter has been created to share information about food security in the Grandview Woodland and neighbouring communities. Please feel free to send us any information that you would like included.
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BRITANNIA FOOD WORKSHOPS – CALL FOR INSTRUCTORS
Are you passionate about food, nutrition, and food accessibility? Do you have skills to share? The Grandview Woodland Food Connection (GWFC) is seeking cooking and food preservation instructors to lead workshops at the Britannia Community Centre.
The GWFC strives to promote an accessible, just and sustainable food culture for our community. We seek to build capacity of the neighbourhood through education, information sharing, and the creation of grassroots initiatives to address food security and food justice issues.
Please call the GWFC for more information on how you can get involved in our food education programming. Contact 604-718-7895
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Check out our BLOG - http://gwfoodconnection.wordpress.com/
Grandview Woodland Food Connection Sustenance Presentation
Vancouver Fruit Tree Project Galette Social Enterprise
We are also on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwfc/sets/
Events
1. BRITANNIA BULK BUYING
2. TROUT LAKE CEDAR COTTAGE NEIGHBOURHOOD FOOD SECURITY MEETING
3. INTEREST IN WOODLAND PARK COMMUNITY GARDEN?
4. BRITANNIA COMMUNIT KITCHEN
Workshops
1. JOURNEY TO WELLNESS
2. HOMESTEADING MAMAS FOOD WORKSHOPS
3. FOODSAFE LEVEL ONE COURSE
4. COMMUNITY KITCHEN ROUNDTABLES
Jobs
1. BCFSN GATHERING COORDINATOR
Volunteer
1. FRESH CHOICE KITCHENS - INTERVIEWER / PHOTOGRAPHER
2. VANCOUVER FRUIT TREE PROJECT - BOARD MEMBERS
3. GRANDVIEW WOODLAND FOOD CONNECTION
4. FOOD 2 U
Funding
1. RECREATION FOUNDATION OF BC
2. VANCOUVER FOUNDATION - HEALTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
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EVENTS
BRITANNIA BULK BUYING
Are you interested in fresh fruits and veggies? Do you want to save money? The Britannia Bulk Buying Group purchases fresh produce at wholesale prices saving you about 30% on your food bill.
Food is bought once a month and brought to Britannia Community Centre to sort and pick up. Cost is $13 for about 7- 8 varieties of food. That is two bags of food. This program is for individuals and households who are struggling financially.
For more information call Ian @ 604-718-5895
TROUT LAKE CEDAR COTTAGE NEIGHBOURHOOD COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY MEETING
Interested in learning more about food security, food justice and food-related programs in the Trout Lake-Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood? Come join us for an evening engagement! We want to hear from you: What is needed in your community? What are you working on? What do you want to make happen?
Hosted by: Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage Food Security Network
Kensington Library- 1428 Cedar Cottage Mews
Wednesday, February 1st from 6:30-8
If you have any questions or would like to RSVP please email Aja Peterson at tlccfoodsecurity@gmail.com
INTEREST IN WOODLAND PARK COMMUNITY GARDEN?
The City of Vancouver is currently seeking expressions of interest for new community garden sites starting in Spring 2012. An Expression of Interest will be submitted to the city for a new community garden in Woodland Park. Presently Grandview-Woodland counts relatively few community garden plots compared with surrounding neighbourhoods.
Along with the Expression of Interest, the City would like to see evidence of community interest in a new community garden, as well as proposals for the site location. We are hoping that you will help us out with both by completing this short questionnaire: http://tinyurl.com/gwcommunitygarden. Woodland Park does not seem to have many other uses at present and is surrounded by many apartment buildings whose occupants might welcome the opportunity to have a garden plot of their own. However, any other suggestions as to a potential site on City-owned land would be greatly appreciated, as would your opinions with regards to a Woodland Park site.
Your input to this questionnaire as soon as possible is greatly appreciated, as the deadline for the Expression of Interest is rapidly approaching. We are planning on calling a meeting within the next few days so that interested parties can contribute their ideas to the Expression of Interest, and if you respond to the questionnaire you will be contacted with the meeting details. If you are on Facebook, please consider joining our Facebook page for this project (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=161638983935150), which can serve as a forum for discussion and a way to stay in the loop. Feel free to contact jordan@villagevancouver.ca for further information as well.
BRITANNIA COMMUNITY KITCHEN
A community kitchen is coming to Britannia!
Community Kitchen participants come together every few weeks to cook and eat nutritious meals together and to take meals home to their families. Community kitchens provide a fun and supportive environment to meet new people and try new things and they can also save money on groceries.
The Britannia Community Kitchen project will feature diabetic friendly cooking designed to meet the needs of individuals with diabetes or at risk of diabetes. Each 11 week session will include a presentation by a health professional familiar with nutrition and diabetes prevention.
Come out and have some fun!
These kitchens are fully subsidized and open to individuals who are struggling financially. Donations are accepted. Registration for childminding is separate. Space is limited. Starting June 18, Sat 2 – 5pm and will run every two weeks.
For more information contact Britannia Food Security @ 604-718-5895
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WORKSHOPS
JOURNEY TO WELLNESS
Britannia Community Centre and the Grandview Woodland Food Connection are pleased to host the Journey to Wellness workshop series with its focus on healthy and affordable workshops (subsidies also available). All workshops will be held at Britannia Community Centre.
Sasha Liang is a Wellness Coach incorporating the Living Food Lifestyle. Her journey began through her need to eat more consciously and ethically, for the sake of her body and our planet. As a former dancer working with such world famous artists as Gregory Hines, she has extensive experience in nutrition related to sports, sports injuries and eating for optimal health and performance. She has studied nutrition with the likes of David Wolfe, Daniel Vitalis, Victoria Boutenko, Janice Skoreyko, Gabrielle Brick, Alissa Cohen and Tim Van Orden. Sasha is currently incorporating her knowledge in Herbalism and Raw Foods to aid stage two diabetics in reversing their diagnosis.
Kombucha Brewing
This is a digestion/probiotics and cost saving education class exploring natural digestive aids – not bottled-over-priced “mystery” solutions. Vegan probiotics are the old NEW wave of the future. Learn the ancient tradition of home brewing while restoring balance to your gut? Basic gut health is explored. Students will receive hand outs, recipes, samples and take home starter cultures
Jan 29, 2:00-5:00pm
$10
Raw Vegan in 10 minutes
A gluten/dairy/diabetes/weight loss special. Learn how to make filling, easy raw & vegan recipes in 10 minutes with the least amount of equipment of investment. Q & A hand outs covering Raw Vegan and Diabetes as well as in-class samples and recipes.
Feb 5, 2:00-5:00pm
$18
Sinless Desserts for All
Chocolate lovers unite! Ice cream junkies, this is YOUR day! A program for diabetics, the weight conscious and dessert lovers. Use fruit, nuts and REAL chocolate to create artisan chocolates, ice cream and other blissful SIN FREE confections. Q & A hand outs covering Raw Vegan & Diabetes as well as samples and recipes
Feb 12, 2:00-5:00pm
$20
Cleansing with Smoothies
All you need is a blender and an open mind! Breakfast, lunch and dessert never tasted so good – join us and sample some wetteners you’ve never heard of. Handouts are included with recipes, basic cleanse rituals and in-class samples.
Feb 19, 2:00-5:00pm
$12
HOMESTEADING MAMAS FOOD WORKSHOPS
All workshops are at the Kiwassa Neighbourhood House (2425 Oxford Street).
For more information visit – http://www.homesteadingmamas.wordpress.com/
Homemade Yogurt
This workshop will teach you the basic steps of making your own yogurt. It is simple, cost effective and takes very little time – with fantastic results. All participants will take home a small sample of homemade yogurt and the tools to do it at home!
Monday, January 16th OR Monday, January 30th
6 – 9pm
Cost: $35
To register contact 604-764-5103 or 604-312-1887 or thehomesteadingmamas@gmail.com
Payment is required a week in advance of the class to ensure your spot. We can accept paypal or cheque. 50% of payment will be refunded should you need to cancel.
All workshops are at the Kiwassa Neighbourhood House
FOODSAFE LEVEL ONE COURSE
We all have questions when it comes to food safety. What should we be concerned with when handling food in our kitchens? What’s safe and what isn’t in our day-to-day work in the kitchen?
Come learn the basics about safe food handling in a friendly classroom environment. This is a provincially recognized course taught by qualified instructors. It is suitable for individuals who have a grade 8 or higher reading comprehension level.
Sat, Mar 31, 2012, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Location: Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, 1150 Raymur Ave. Vancouver, BC
Cost: $50.00 – $95.00 (sliding scale)
To register: Contact Darlene Tanaka, at 604-216-2325 or darlenet@foodbank.bc.ca
Please note: Lunch is not provided, so please bring a lunch. Registration is limited to 20 per class. Payment required upon registration. Cancellations must be done at the latest, 72 hours before. No refunds for no-shows. The workshop may be rescheduled if registration numbers are not met.
COMMUNITY KITCHEN ROUNDTABLES
These free, two hour roundtable are an opportunity to meet other community kitchen leaders, to share and hear about other kitchen activities, challenges & successes. We are now posting an overview of what is discussed in our Roundtables – visit the blog category “Around the Table” to see notes of previous meetings.
Dates/Times:
Thurs, Jan 12, 2012, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Thurs, Jun 14, 2012, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
To register:: Contact Shona Lam at shonal@foodbank.bc.ca. Although it is a free workshop, we kindly ask that you register so that we know who will be in attendance. Location: Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, 1150 Raymur Ave
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JOBS
BCFSN GATHERING COORDINATOR
The BC Food Systems Network is looking for an energetic, detail-oriented person to coordinate our 2012 annual Gathering which will take place on Gambier Island on July 5-8, 2012. The successful candidate will have experience working within a non-profit organization, have some knowledge of the BC Food Systems Network and be an excellent communicator. An in-depth understanding of food security and the surrounding issues is essential for this position. This position requires a flexible personality. The successful applicant must be able to multi-task and prioritize. Experience fundraising and managing large projects and PR outreach is crucial to this position. Developing and implementing a communications plan that will help promote the Gathering and keep all stakeholders informed of gathering development. The Gathering this year is being held at Fircom on Gambier Island, and will require this coordinator to be strong in organizational performance to deal with food provision, thus the this position will be best filled with someone who lives local to the Lower Mainland.
This is a contract position that runs from February 1, 2012 to July 31, 2012. Hours per week increase from about 5-10 to 20-25 as the Gathering approaches. The contract will include an incentive (based on net profit) to produce a successful event.
To apply for this position please send a cover letter, résumé, and references to cheryl.thomas24@gmail.com.
The closing date for application is January 23, 2012.
Check out the GWFC Website for more details - http://gwfoodconnection.wordpress.com/jobs/
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
FRESH CHOICE KITCHENS – INTERVIEWER / PHOTOGRAPHER
Fresh Choice Kitchens is looking for a volunteer to help create an information sheet on Kitchen Layout Designs similar to our 2005/2006 document currently on our website . The volunteer will travel to 4-5 different prearranged community kitchen sites in recently designed/built/renovated kitchens. During the site visit, the volunteer will take digital photos of the layout of the kitchen and any other rooms used by the community kitchen (e.g. for child support, eating, teaching etc). The volunteer will also administer a 6 question interview to the community kitchen facilitator or kitchen manager to identify the pros & cons of the design for community kitchen activity. The volunteer will then compile the information collected into a Word document which can be posted to the Fresh Choice website.
Duration: 25 hours total. This project can be spread out over a 4-6 week period.
Requirements: Must have vehicle to travel to different locations in the Lower Mainland and digital camera
Costs covered: Milelage
To apply, please contact Diane Collis at cooking@foodbank.bc.ca or 604-216-2324.
VANCOUVER FRUIT TREE PROJECT
The Vancouver Fruit Tree Project Society is dedicated to harvesting and sharing neighbourhood fruit. Volunteers harvest extra fruit from backyard fruit trees and redistribute it to community groups. In the past 12 years we have picked more than 35, 000 pounds of fruit and redistributed it to community centres, neighbourhood houses, daycares and other community groups.
The VFTP is currently seeking new board members passionate about food security and community food access. For more information, please contact Erin at erin@vancouverfruittree.com
GRANDVIEW WOODLAND FOOD CONNECTION
The Grandview Woodlands Food Connection is a grassroots food security group supporting residents to access healthy and affordable food. We are developing a number of community based food initiatives, including community gardening, bulk buying groups, school gardens, canning workshops,community kitchens and more and are looking for individuals interested in hands-on project coordination. Check out our projects. Call Ian @ 604-718-5895
THE FOOD 2 U PROGRAM
The Food 2 U Program is a partnership between the Vancouver Food Bank and Vancouver Coastal Health. The program delivers food to homebound seniors or persons with a disability most Tuesday mornings and is looking for volunteer drivers (with their own car) and passengers. Mileage will be reimbursed for those using their vehicles. Volunteers must be able to work well with people and be physically able to lift 20-25 lb grocery bags. Familiarity with the downtown area is an asset. For further information, please contact Jan Russell at (604)301-3886.
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FUNDING
RECREATION FOUNDATION OF BC
The Recreation Foundation of British Columbia is a registered charity (No. 89232 0441 RR0001) the purpose of which is to advance parks, recreation, arts and culture, and the environment in BC; and to fund the activities of not-for-profit volunteer and educational organizations in the province.
The Foundation’s grant program includes the following criteria:
• Grants are intended for charities whose purpose is consistent with the Foundation’s
• Grants will not exceed 50% of the total project cost, and the maximum grant will be $10,000
• Grants may be used for service expansion or improvements to existing programs, new programs, and research which will enhance the organization’s programs and services, but are not intended for planning or construction purposes
• Compliance with each of the requirements must be demonstrated in the Grant Application
Additional information on the grant program criteria can be found http://www.recreationfoundationbc.ca/requests/requests.htm
Contact the Foundation at 604.538.7061 or info@recreationfoundationbc.ca if you require additional details. Application to be completed and received by January 31, 2012.
VANCOUVER FOUNDATION – HEALTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Health and Social Development grants support projects that enhance the capacity of adults, families and communities to create healthy, caring, safe and supportive environments for all.
Priority Areas
Through 2011 to 2014, there will be a particular focus on two priority areas. Multi-year requests related to these two priority areas are encouraged and evaluation will be supported.
• Health and Wellness – we are interested in projects that enhance community members’ ability to access and navigate systems of care and support. Successful projects will demonstrate impact at the individual level and present strategies for addressing common barriers.
• Belonging and Inclusion – we are interested in supporting projects that improve and/or develop community cohesion and connectedness within and across diverse communities.
Letters of Intent are due by Jan. 27, 2012
For more information and details visit: http://www.vancouverfoundation.ca/grants/healthandsocialdevelopment.htm
