LFS350/Projects/2021-Term2/Kiwasssa

Project Title

Nutritious Recipes & Health Promotion for Kiwassa's Affordable Market

Organization Name

Kiwassa Neighbourhood House

Related Course Concepts

Food justice, Food security, Social class/income inequality, Cultural identities, Racism, Colonialism, Indigenous food sovereignty

Organization Information

Organization Name

Kiwassa Neighbourhood House

Mission and Vision of Organization

Mission To cultivate opportunities with people and partners to build a socially just, resilient, and connected community. Vision A thriving community where all people are valued, connected, and secure.

Guiding Principles + Values

Objectives We strive to identify areas and issues of greatest need within our targeted community, and to initiate programs and services to meet these needs. We strive to bring neighbours together, encouraging them to share their experiences and friendship with each other. We work cooperatively with other agencies to identify, develop and support programs and services offered elsewhere in our community and City. Diversity Statement We are children, youth, adults, and seniors of all ethnicities, beliefs, cultures, abilities, and economic levels. We speak many languages and we are people of all sexual orientations. We value diversity and endeavour to reflect the diversity of our neighbours in our membership, our Board of Directors, our volunteers and our staff. We respect all of our neighbours and we expect that all who come to our House and all of those who provide and receive our services will extend the same respect to all they meet here. In accordance with this, we will act to promote the inclusion of all in our Neighbourhood House and in our community

Contact Information

• Primary Contact Person(s): Blain Butyniec (He/Him)
• Email: [[1]]
• Phone: 604-254-5401 ext.253  
• Address:  2425 Oxford Street, Vancouver
• Website:   www.kiwassa.ca
• Secondary Contact: Omri Haiven (He/Him)
• Secondary Contact Email: Omrih@kiwassa.ca

Preferred Method of Contact

• Best method(s) to contact: Email
• Best day(s) to contact:Wednesdays, Thursdays, Wednesdays before 2pm.
• Best time(s) to contact:  

Preferred Platform(s) for Remote Collaboration

• no

Context: What challenge or issue does the project aim to address?

Kiwassa is one of 15 agencies across the country modelling Community Food Centre Canada’s (CFCC) Market Greens program. This grant program is part of an initiative which works to increase affordable access to fresh fruits and vegetables through various subsidy models to improve health and prevent diet- related disease among vulnerable populations.The Market Greens program was inspired in part by the success and expansion of fruit and vegetable subsidy programming in the United States. CFCC began piloting the Market Greens program in 2018 and has seen promising results at this stage of the pilot. Each week we purchase a selection of fresh produce at below wholesale rates that we then sell to the community via a not for profit produce market (currently based out of Pandora Park in East Vancouver). Even with welcoming, low-cost markets, it is challenging to shift shopping and eating habits, particularly for people with financial barriers who are more vulnerable to diet-related health issues. The Market Greens Incentives Program provides another level of subsidy to further reduce barriers and promote health. Low income residents with a health care referral documenting that they are managing a diet related condition (high blood press, type 2 diabetes...) can qualify for the Greens Prescription vouchers providing 15 weeks of additional subsidies. However, low-cost fruit and vegetables are often not enough to draw people in and shift their eating habits. Research has shown that the inclusion of some form of education or health promotion activity is critical to the success of nutrition incentive programs in leading to long-term behaviour change. Like most things over the past year, this program has been affected by the current pandemic. Activities like cooking demos or running food workshops with participants in our kitchen are not currently possible. This project will help us implement health promotion activities at the market, that comply with provincial health orders in the context of a worldwide pandemic.

Main Project Activities

• *Review data from market attendees of cultural tastes, desired produce choices
• Research recipes & produce that are particularly beneficial in relation to certain health conditions
• Incorporate suggestions and input from attendees that will be gathered from market staff and volunteers

Expected Project Deliverable(s)

* #_of weekly take home recipe cards available to market shoppers (the cards will feature a couple healthy recipes using produce available at that weeks market and appealing to the various cultural preferences of market attendees).

Intended Project Outcome

• Households learn to cook new nutritious recipes
• Households experiment with produce they have never tried before
• Sense of community at market is increased through inclusion of health promotion activities

Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)

Preferred Skills and Assets	nutritional knowledge, recipe creation, comfortable in kitchen, understanding of social determinants of health and how that may affect food choices, understanding of culturally appropriate food choices, advanced design skills
Required Skills and Assets	some understanding of healthy food options, basic design skills,
Helpful Additional Language Skills	mandarin, cantonese, spanish

Student Assets and Skills (to be developed through the project)

• increased nutritional knowledge
• graphic design to make information accessible

Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?

• n/a

Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?

No

Required Reading

Project/Partner Orientation Materials

Students should review these materials prior to the first partner meeting:

• select sections of CFCC guide "How to Start an Affordable Market" there are a couple other resources I will pull together for this

Additional Project/Partner Orientation Materials

The following will be provided at the first community partner meeting:

• In January we will start collecting feedback from market participants on cultural / produce preferences. We may have access to some of the local information the CFCC has gleaned via their surveys and evaluation process.

Expected Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

I hope students will learn about...

• food security on a very local level

I think students will come to appreciate...

• the ability to bring together diverse people through food

Through this project, students will develop...

• an understanding of the importance of culturally appropriate food options

How does the student project contribute to your organization's mission and long-term vision?

• supporting residents of our neighbourhood to achieve greater food security and the ability to play a more active and informed part in their own health. Building a stronger local food system that isn't based on charity but rather connecting with your culture, the broader community, and the land.

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