Course:Course:LFS350/Projects/F2023/Brella
Project Title
Waste No Chews: Cooking on a Budget with Older Adults
Brella Community Services Society
Organization Information
Organization Name
Brella Community Services Society
Mission and Vision of Organization
Our Mission
We enable older adults, their families, and caregivers to lead full, engaged, and meaningful lives.
Our Vision
To live in a safe, inclusive, engaging, and diverse community where older adults experience dignity and feel valued.
Guiding Principles + Values
Our Values
- Integrity
- Respect
- Compassion
- Inclusiveness
- Collaboration
- Excellence
Our Guiding Principles
- to connect isolated adults
- to develop social skills
- to provide recreational activities
- to delay institutionalized living
- to contribute to emotional and physical well-being
Contact Information
- Primary Contact Person(s): Nicole Worden (she/her), Meal Programs Coordinator
- Email: nicole.worden@brellasociety.ca
- Phone: 604-531-9400 ext. 207
- Address: 15008 26th Ave., Surrey BC
- Website: https://www.brellasociety.ca/
- Alternate Contact Person: Edwin Chau (he/him), Seniors Centre Without Walls Coordinator
- Alternate Contact's Email: edwin.chau@brellasociety.ca - 604-531-9400 ext.205
Preferred Method of Contact
- Best method(s) to contact: Email or phone
- Best day(s) to contact: Monday-Friday. Note: Nicole only works part-time, but Edwin works full-time.
- Best time to contact by phone: 9:30am-4pm
Preferred Platform(s) for Collaboration and Student Meetings
- Zoom
- MS Teams
- Phone
Project Description
Note: This project will take place in person
Context/Background
Brella works extensively with the older adult (55+) community living in South Surrey/White Rock. We engage with many clients who are low-income. Another interesting challenge to navigate is how the seniors can access knowledge resources without using digital technology. We're hoping that this project will reach approximately 10-15 seniors in the community to join in a small community workshop to learn about maximizing their budgets and ingredients.
Food Systems Issue(s) Addressed in this Project
Our project is inspired by the experiences of opening up our fridges, seeing all the ingredients, but still wondering "What is there to eat?". And yet so much food waste occurs just from ingredients/groceries going unused or underused. This is even more important for low-income seniors who can struggle to keep a well-balanced diet with their limited food budgets. We want to offer interactive learning on how we can effectively and efficiently meal plan on a budget, while also maximizing nutrition and ingredient use.
We are aiming for no/low waste, to food, nutrition, and budget. This project can also include research and understanding of low-cost food resources in the area, and resources for assisting with meals/budget planning.
Main Project Activities
- Research and create materials/resources to include in the workshop
- Work with Brella staff to develop the workshop budget
- Facilitate a workshop
- Create a handout of resources/materials for participants to take home
- Design posters to promote the workshop
- Create feedback survey for program participants
Main Project Deliverable(s)
- 1 interactive workshop on maximizing cooking on a budget
- 1 poster to advertise the workshop
- 1 handout/brochure for participants to take home
- 1 post-workshop feedback survey
Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)
- Enjoys working with seniors
- Food Safe certification
- Cooking skills
- Comfortable with public speaking
- Event/workshop planning and facilitation experience
Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?
- The workshop will be on-site in an afternoon/evening
- Date/time is to be discussed with students at first meeting
Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?
- Yes
- CRS will be initiated at the first community partner meeting
How much self-direction is expected from the students?
- Deciding on the project deliverable(s): Mostly led by community partner, with some student input
- Developing the activity plan and timeline: Mostly led by students, with some community partner input
- Scheduling and initiating the communication plan (e.g. weekly Zoom check-in, biweekly email update, etc.): Equal leadership between students and community partner
- Implementing the activity plan (e.g. surveying stakeholder groups): Mostly led by students, with some community partner input
- Finalizing the deliverable(s): Mostly led by students, with some community partner input
Related Volunteering/Community Service Opportunities for Students
- Volunteering with community luncheon programs
- Connections with Surrey/White Rock Seeds of Change organizations
- Sources Community Service Society volunteer opportunities
Required Reading
Project/Partner Orientation Materials
Students should review the following materials prior to the first partner meeting. Additional orientation materials may be provided at the first partner meeting.
- White Rock Community Health Profile (Provincial Health Services Authority)
- South Surrey Community Profile (City of Surrey Statistics)
- Food Waste Information: https://madeinca.ca/food-waste-canada-statistics/
- The Extraordinary Life of A Strawberry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTaFYF1nA4c
Additional Materials
- Sources Food Hub
- Putting your kitchen to work: A resource guide for increasing the use of publicly accessible kitchens through food based programming (2017) (City of Vancouver)
- Kitchen Confidential: How to start a community meals program (Community Food Centres Canada)
- Healthy Eating for Seniors Handbook (Government of British Columbia). English, Chinese, French, and Punjabi versions available
- Healthy Eating for Older Adults (Ottawa Public Health). Includes budgeting tools and resources.
Expected Outcomes
Intended Short-term Project Outcome
- Older adults (55+) gain knowledge and skills to create low cost, healthy meals so they can minimize food waste and eat healthily on a limited budget.
Learning Outcomes
Through this project, I think students will learn about...
- How to maximize budget and nutrition/effective meal planning
- The challenges of creating healthy meals on a low budget
- How to use every part of your ingredients/fridge/pantry
- The effects of food waste on the environment (and the wallet)
By working on this project, I think students will develop skills and/or awareness of...
- Understanding food labels
- Creative cooking/meal planning using what you have instead of wasting uneaten food
- Awareness of challenges that seniors face in food security/diversity/literacy
- Workshop planning and facilitating
- Ways to get the most value per dollar to nutrition
By the end of the project, I believe students will come to appreciate...
- The challenges of keeping a healthy, balanced diet, as you age
- The food that is available to them, and making the most of all your food how to maximize a food budget