Assets

Short-Term Relief

TLCC has a number of well established short-term relief programs to ensure that immediate hunger is alleviated. These programs range from hot breakfast, lunch and snack programs at schools to meal centered programming at neighbourhood houses. There is a weekly food bank depot in the neighbourhood and access to inexpensive culturally appropriate meal delivery is readily available. In general, the TLCC neighbourhood is served by local as well as city-wide services to ensure immediate hunger is managed.

Appendix I lists short-term relief programs available to neighbourhood residents.

Take-A-Break

The “Take-A-Break” project is a model project that utilizes already existing programming to enhance local food security. This nutrition and health education program, 3 Evergreen Health Centre staff rotate – 2 RN, 1 RD located at the Trout Lake Community Centre food bank depot, offers weekly recipe demonstration and sampling along with health & nutrition information. With increased funding this project is positioned to increase it’s effectiveness by developing a cooking and skill building component. Like the food bank itself this program is not offered on the 3rd Tuesday of month which is Income Assistance cheque week. (Download pdf flyer)

Capacity Building

Capacity building programs are becoming more prevalent within community boundaries.

Community Gardens

Community gardens allow residents that don’t have access to land to grow food to rent a plot for the year and grow crops. There are four established community gardens that are clustered in the north west corner of the neighbourhood. These gardens are at various stages of development with some being established very recently. Land for gardens becomes available in a number of different ways. Some of it is city land which has been converted to a garden. One of the local gardens, the My Own Back Yard (MOBY) garden that sits under the skytrain tracks near Commercial Drive and 11th Avenue, is on land owned by Translink and has been donated to the garden project.

Community Kitchens

Community Kitchens bring people together to cook nutritious meals in a supportive setting. There is a formal Community Kitchen project for the city of Vancouver. Services include an online directory where kitchens can be registered, canning workshops and courses in food safety and kitchen leadership. These services are offered outside neighbourhood boundaries, but is an important resource to find information on how to start a kitchen.

Two community kitchens run out of the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House are designed on the strength of cooperation. They run an Aboriginal kitchen in cooperation with Vancouver Native Health Society and are launching a “green” kitchen in January with the Environmental Youth Alliance.

Appendix II lists Community Gardens and Community Kitchens.

Farmers’ Market

Your Local Farmers Market Society (YLFMS) organizes The Trout Lake Farmers Market each Saturday from May to October. The market is set-up in the parking lot of the Trout Lake Community Centre. YLFMS also runs a bi-weekly winter market, but it is located at a different indoor venue that is outside of the community boundaries. The Trout Lake farmers market is a weekly event attracting people from across the city who want to purchase farm fresh produce and value added products direct from the farmers and producers. Situated in the heart of the neighbourhood at John Hendry Park parking lot of Trout Lake Community Centre the farmers market is a perfect opportunity for residents to access nutritious food that also helps strengthen our larger local economy and reduces food miles that in turn reduces green house gas emissions. A trip to the farmers market and a conversation with the farmer who grew the food can be a useful education in how the food is grown and how to prepare unfamiliar ingredients. In 2006, the University of Northern British Columbia undertook a province wide study on the impact of farmers’ markets on local communities. A few of the highlights from the Trout Lake market:

  • The estimated economic impact of the East Vancouver farmers market on the local economy is $1.6 million annually
  • Estimated number of market visitors per year: 59,568
  • The average customer spends $21.70 at the market
  • 49.3% of respondents visit the market either regularly (almost weekly) or frequently (2-3 times per month)

The Farmers' Market Nutrition and Coupon Pilot Project

is a unique program available to community residents. The project - administered by the BC Association of Farmers' Markets – is designed to help low-income families buy and consume more BC produced fresh farm products. We will monitor the results of the first year of this program and report back the results.

Trout Lake Cedar Cottage Food Security Network

The creation of this network has begun the process of making our neighbourhood food secure. The purpose of the network is to enhance the health and well-being of vulnerable populations in Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage neighborhoods by supporting and coordinating local food security initiatives and improving access to community health, social services and community-based programs. Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood House is well positioned to coordinate the administration work of this project based on its ability to build partnerships with local stakeholders (i.e. residents, clients of the Trout Lake Community Centre, Farmers Market participants, teen programs, etc). The TLCC Food Security Network will facilitate making connections among urban agriculture programs, food recovery programs, collective cooking programs and leadership/skill building.

Miscellaneous Programming

There are various food safe, food gardening, canning, nutrition and other food related workshops held sporadically at neighbourhood houses, community centres, and community gardens. These programs are offered sporadically and are difficult to catalog. The TLCCFSN will broadcast courses and events to the community. A great benefit of capacity building programs is that they allow residents to become actively involved in the joys of food from growing to cooking. This gives participants an awareness of food in their everyday lives that will allow them to make healthier, more nutritious food choices in their day-to-day lives. Strong capacity building programs do more than provide access to food, they strengthen the community.

A Note On Community Assets

Many of the services and programs within the TLCC neighbourhood boundaries are clustered in the northwest corner of the community on the border with Grandview Woodlands. In order to fully service the full neighbourhood, programming and projects should be developed in other geographical areas of the community. next...