It’s a good food (and news) story. Midwest Food Resources has announced it has joined Community Food Centres Canada’s Good Food Organizations program to showcase its commitment to offering community food programs based in principles of health, empowerment and respect.
With 73 other Good Food Organizations and several community food centres across the country, Midwest Food Resources is working towards a healthy and fair food system.
Launched in 2014, the Good Food Organizations program offers access to tools and resources, customized training, attendance at CFCC’s annual Food Summit and chances to network and promote shared priorities. By working together through a set of shared principles, this important initiative connects Midwest Food Resources to like-minded and progressive organizations across the country that are using food to tackle problems of poor health, inequality, hunger and poverty.
Midwest Food Resources' mission is to assist community members to access food resources through community kitchens and other collective actions where participants can share resources, socialize and assist each other to resolve food security issues in a dignified manner. The project encourages self-reliant programs rather than feeding people. Participants contribute their time, energy and money to the success of their group.
Midwest Food Resources also offers fresh food box programs in North Battleford, Lloydminster and Meadow Lake, Collective Kitchens and Kids in Kitchen in all three cities and surrounding communities and a community garden in the Battlefords. The impact of its programs according to participants is that they are eating more fruits, vegetables and grains and trying new recipes and foods. Children participating have improved self-esteem, and have new social networks. Adults in the cooking programs have stated they have new ideas for preparing healthy meals for themselves and their families. They also save money on healthy food for their families. One hundred per cent of children in the Kids in Kitchen program would recommend it to others.
Midwest Food Resources became a Good Food Organization to become part of a sharing network of organizations to both learn from others and share what they have been learning in their work since 1997.
“We launched this initiative to provide support and inspiration to dozens of organizations across the country — community health centres, food banks, community markets — that are doing grassroots food work. We want to promote the idea that this work is worth doing and worth supporting, and that it can have a huge impact on people’s health and well-being,” said Kathryn Scharf, vice-president National Programs for Community Food Centres Canada. “We want to amplify these voices and program outcomes to build a national case for an investment in healthy food for all.”
