Date change for Roundtable
Our next CK Roundtable has changed to Thurs, May 31 from 10am -12pm. For more info...
Contest dates: July 9 – Sept 3, 2012
The Hands-on Cook-off Contest is presented by Better Together, a not for profit online community forum that celebrates family togetherness at mealtimes. This contest brings together food, family and fun in the kitchen by having two generations demonstrate how to prepare a recipe. It’s Better Together‘s way of spreading an important message to families about the many benefits of eating together.
Consider introducing this contest to the families you work with. Perhaps you’d like to consider including this contest in your summer programming? If so, Better Together could provide some information on the benefits to families and children of eating together, along with some helpful tips on how people can make family meals work well for their lifestyle and schedules. Another idea is for programs to host a day of filming, to support families who would like to enter the contest. Better Together could provide hand-outs and resources to help you in doing this.
This contest provides families with not only a great experience, but they also get to take home their very own three minute video- a valuable keepsake that is also hosted on the Better Together site and on YouTube. Plus, people have a chance to win great prizes. This year, we’re awarding $1500, $1000 and $500 to the top winners, plus every entry could win a Kitchen Aid.
See last year’s video submissions at: http://bettertogetherbc.ca/videos
For more information on the contest, please view the poster.
Job Posting: Chef, Potluck Cafe and Catering
Application deadline: May 31, 2012
This is a unique, exciting and rewarding opportunity to become a key member of the Potluck Leadership Team. Their current Chef Johnny Perry who has accomplished many, many amazing things in his role of Potluck Chef over the past 10 years will be moving into a brand new role at Potluck as their Recipes for Success Program Manager.
Potluck is excited about these changes and opportunities moving forward.
For details on the job: Please read the job description.
To apply: Please email your Cover Letter & Resume to Heather O’Hara, Executive Director at heather@potluckcatering.comPotluckCHEFMay2012
Only candidates invited for an interview will be contacted.
Kitsilano Community Food Market
Once a week this summer, a stretch of sidewalk in Kitsilano will be transformed into a community food market. Kitsilano Neighbourhood House (KNH) and the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) are once again collaborating on the project.
The markets are anticipated to start at the end of June/early July in the Vine and Broadway area (exact location TBA).
Interested in being a vendor, volunteer, sidewalk workshop leader, or market collaborator in another way? Contact Oliver Lane at 604-736-7732 or admin@spec.bc.ca
Nature’s Path – Garden for Good Grants Program
Passionate community members and organizations are encouraged to go to Nature’s Path’s Facebook page to apply for a $15,000 grant between May 1 – 31, 2012 and vote between June 1 – June 30, 2012.
From the nine organizations (six U.S. and three Canadian) that receive the most public votes, Nature’s Path will choose three winners who demonstrate a passion and vision for organic urban farming (two in the U.S. and one in Canada based on the strength of the application) to become the recipients of:
- a $15,000 cash grant toward an organic community garden project;
- technical design and production mentorship provided by Organic Gardening magazine;
- a free organic breakfast community celebration; and,
- a donation of Nature’s Path products to help fill the pantries of a local food bank.
For more information: Please read the news release or the Nature’s Path Gardens for Good website
Expressions of Interest deadline: June 28, 2012
The Learning Initiatives for Rural and Northern BC (LIRN) is accepting Expressions of Interest from communities that would like support to bring trainers and facilitators to their community to deliver a learning event for residents.
LIRN does not provide direct funding or cash but can provide the following:
- event planning,
- workshop and/or dialogue design,
- facilitation,
- training, and
- reporting services that are related to each learning event.
The community (through a local steering committee) would be expected to help with planning, marketing, providing a venue, and providing catering if needed (this can be through charging admission).
LIRN will partner with non-profit organizations First Nations, local/regional governments who:
- Are located in a rural, remote and/or Northern region of BC – rural is defined as communities that are below about 25,000 in population and beyond regular commuting distance from a larger centre;
- Can demonstrate support or partnership within the community (including coordination to avoid multiple applications from the same community);
- Can demonstrate local need for the learning event;
- Can articulate anticipated outcomes for a LIRN event in their community.
- Groups of communities can also apply that are close together or have the potential to use video conferencing facilities.
For more information: Read visit http://www.bcruralnetwork.ca/lirn
Application deadline: June 29, 2012
Community-based project grants from New Horizons for Seniors Program are available for up to $25,000 per year, per organization are available for projects that encourage seniors to share their knowledge, skills and experiences with others and help communities increase their capacity to address local issues.
The New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) is a federal grants and contributions program that supports projects led or inspired by seniors who want to make a difference in the lives of others and in their communities.
NHSP supports projects that address one or more of the following five program objectives:
- promoting volunteerism among seniors and other generations;
- engaging seniors in the community through the mentoring of others;
- expanding awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse;
- supporting the social participation and inclusion of seniors; and
- providing capital assistance for new and existing community projects and/or programs for seniors.
For more information and the steps to apply, visit the NHSP website at: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/community_partnerships/seniors/nhsp/cbpf/index.shtml
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food (Olivier de Schutter) has completed his tour of Canada (May 6-16th). In his report of findings, he has stated that Canada needs a national food strategy which should highlight 3 areas of concern:
1. The large number of Canadians too poor to afford adequate diets.
“800,000 households are food insecure in Canada. This is a country that is rich, but that fails to adapt the levels of social assistance benefits and its minimum wage to the rising costs of basic necessities, including food and housing. Food banks that depend on charity are not a solution: they are a symptom of failing social safety nets that the Government must address.”
2. more than one in four Canadian adults are obese, and almost two thirds of the population is overweight or obese, costing at least 5 billion Canadian dollars annually in health care costs and in lost productivity.
“This is also a result of poverty: adequate diets have become too expensive for poor Canadians, and it is precisely these people who have to pay the most when they live in food deserts and depend on convenience stores that charge higher prices than the main retailers.”
3, the situation of Aboriginal peoples.
“Referring to the situation of fly-in communities in Manitoba and reserves in Alberta that he visited during the mission, De Schutter called for a reform of the Nutrition North Canada program that subsidizes retailers to serve remote communities. He also called for a structural approach to tackling the socio-economic and cultural barriers to opportunities for those living on reserves that result in their not enjoying fully their right to adequate food. He also regretted that neither the federal Government nor the provinces consider that they have a responsibility to support off-reserve Aboriginal peoples in overcoming the structural discrimination they face.”
The Special Rapporteur also commented that:
“What I’ve seen in Canada is a system that presents barriers for the poor to access nutritious diets and that tolerates increased inequalities between rich and poor, and aboriginal (and) non-aboriginal peoples.” (See Canadian Press article)
