Headwaters Communities in ActionCommunity Food Access Conversation – A Huge Success!
On Feb 4th Headwaters Communities in Action, (HCIA), The Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance (HFFA) and Wellington-Dufferin Public Health Unit hosted a Community Food Access Conversation.
The event was organized by the Food Education, Literacy and Access committee of HFFA to address the need to convene community members, organizations and service providers on issues of food security. The objectives of the event were to:
- become informed about the current state of food security in Headwaters
- connect with others involved in food access and poverty work
- share ideas, issues, concerns and challenges
- discover opportunities and areas to work together
- be part of increasing food security in our community
Thirty-nine attendees were in attendance to help identify the five priority areas:
- Food Skills/Programs
- Gardens/Urban Farming
- Partnerships
- Community Food Centre
- Poverty Reduction
Participants separated into smaller groups based on the five priority areas and identified actions that could be undertaken relatively easily in the near future.
At the end of the event, attendees were asked to specify their interest in future food access work in the community and provide contact information if they wish to be involved.
The HFFA Food Access sub-group have provided a follow up report outlining the outcomes and next steps with respect to the 5 priorities areas.
Next Steps
The HFFA – Food Access sub-group is inviting attendees who expressed interest in continued collective work to attend follow up facilitated conversations aimed at charting next steps with respect to easy gains, assets and immediate actions in each priority area.
The facilitated conversations have been divided into two groups, Poverty Reduction and Food Programs/Gardens and Urban Farming and will take place as follows:
June 4, 2015 at the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Unit
10:00 am – 12:00 pm – Poverty Reduction
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Food Program/Gardens and Urban Farming
Contact Kathryn McDonald for registration at: kamacdonald@rogers.com
