Claire Turpin of New Dawn – Meals on Wheels (George Mortimer/CBC)
The Ecology Action Centre (EAC) – Our Food Project is very excited to be coordinating the new Age-Friendly Food Box Program, with the financial support of the Age Friendly Communities Grant. Through initiatives like this, the Our Food Project aims to increase organizational capacity, improve access to healthy food, and create positive food environments in Cape Breton. The program links the services of New Dawn Meals on Wheels and the Pan Cape Breton Food Hub Co-op. Meals on Wheels delivers healthy, prepared meals, and has an existing senior client base and strong volunteer support. The Pan Cape Breton Food Hub offers a distribution service for local produce, meats, breads, and more. The EAC will help to build a strong pilot, through embedding evaluation, client consultation, story-capture, and knowledge sharing throughout the program. “We want to create something sustainable for our area seniors, and we want to help shape a program that works for all of the organizations and clients involved”, says Jody Nelson, Community Food Coordinator for the Our Food Project. “Together, we can fill a gap in senior support services in Cape Breton.”
Currently, there is no grocery delivery service available. Home delivery of basic, nutritious groceries through the Age-Friendly Food Box Program will allow people to age in place and maintain healthy lives. “Older adults are some of the most important members of our communities. They have given us so much over the years, and now it’s time that we give back,” said Mr. Mombourquette, MLA for Sydney-Whitney Pier. Planning is underway, and the 8 week pilot will run this fall, serving 25 area seniors.
This unique triad of partnership was built through Cape Breton’s Island Food Network, which acts as an umbrella for collaborative food action, working towards a vibrant, healthy, just, and sustainable local food system. The IFN envisions a Cape Breton Island that exemplifies a regional model for food systems change, through a unified, collaborative, island-wide team of organizations and individuals committed to food action and education.
Jody Nelson is the Community Food Coordinator for Cape Breton with the Our Food Project of the Ecology Action Centre.
Adventures in Local Food is your source for food news in Nova Scotia, from pickles to policy. It is a project organized by the Ecology Action Centre.
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