Course:LFS350/Projects/W2017/ISS Mapping

Project Summary

Purpose

This project is an exciting opportunity to map culturally relevant nutrition and food resources for newcomers to Guildford and Newton neighbourhoods in the city of Surrey

Areas of Focus

Mapping food assets for healthy, low-cost, culturally appropriate meal planning and preparation
Food access for new and recent immigrants

Skills

Identifying, categorizing and displaying culturally appropriate food assets for new and recent immigrants

Location

Guildford and Newton neighbourhoods in the city of Surrey
There are many buses from the King George Skytrain Station for easy transit to Guildford and to Newton areas of Surrey.

Special Considerations

Travel to Surrey is part of this project and therefore suitable for students who live in, near or commute through the area.
Ability to be sensitive and aware of cultural differences pertinent to new or recent immigrant populations.

What is the Opportunity?

Organization name: Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC)

Mission of organization:

Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC) is the oldest not-for-profit immigrant serving agency in BC (formed 1968, incorporated 1972). With the mission of “Helping immigrants build a future in Canada,” ISSofBC's mandate is: to deliver educational, settlement and employment services, develop partnerships with local communities and to promote an integrated and equitable community. Today, ISSofBC is one of the largest multicultural immigrant serving agencies in Canada, serving over 30,000 immigrants & refugees annually. ISSofBC provides a wide range of services for immigrant clients including settlement in over 45 languages, ESL language classes, employment services for immigrants & employers, community connections, and targeted supports to children, youth, refugees and women. ISSofBC has over 400 staff located in 17 sites throughout Metro Vancouver, Squamish, Kamloops and Oliver, and 1000 active volunteers.

Description of project opportunity:

ISSofBC would welcome the opportunity for a group of students from the LFS 350 to map available nutritional resources in Surrey in the with a focus on resources in Guilford and Newton. Students should take into account the unique needs for newcomers in the community such as where can halal products be purchased and where can food that is cross-culturally suitable for our client base in each area can be found.

Skills required:

Nutritional and food security knowledge (ideally with (or interested in) a cross cultural perspective)
Food shopping experience
An eye for good photos and graphics
Self-motivated work habits are essential for this project.

Skills to be developed through the opportunity:

Cultural competence
Leadership
Problem solving
Application of nutritional and food security knowledge in a cross-cultural context.

Project location:

Guildford and Newton neighbourhoods in the city of Surrey
There are many buses from the King George Skytrain Station for easy transit to Guildford and to Newton areas of Surrey.

Days of week and hours project will take place?: Can be organized by the student. Students will have an opportunity if interested to visit the agency and meet the clients that the project is link to.

Primary contact for the students:

Thea Fiddick, Manager Settlement Services Burnaby
Email: thea.fiddick@issbc.org
Address: 7355 Canada Way, Burnaby, BC
Phone: 604-395-8000 ext 1631
Website: www.issbc.org

Expected Outcomes

Learning outcomes:

Connect their classroom learning of concepts and theories with real life examples
Articulate personal and professional significance in the learning experience
Will learn about nutritional resources available in the Surrey Community

Organizational Outcomes:

A resource to support and orient clients to nutritional resources in their community
The ability to better support vulnerable clients facing food security issues
An informed understanding of assets in our community
A better ongoing relationship with the university.