By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: March. 17, 2012
As someone who has rescued still-edible food headed for the waste bin, Riun Blackwell knows well about gaps in the food delivery model in Squamish.
And gaps remain for some of the most vulnerable groups in town, despite the commendable presence of helping hands and food bank.
Seniors, teens, and single parents on low income, youth and people with development disability are some of the groups that can go to bed on a hungry stomach in Squamish.
The Helping Hands, on the other hands, is also well-used by the homeless population, but doesn’t particularly cater to seniors or youth with disabilities.
“We don’t have the meals on wheels or the soup kitchen anymore, so these gaps have increased,” Blackwell said.
Riun Blackwell wants to change that.
For that, he’s looking to the New Hope Cuisine, a North Shore based Salvation Army food program, that combines food rescue with cooking training, and meals production.
The program combines donations from grocery stores and restaurants with a food prep training program in a community kitchen, where community members prepare and freeze low cost, filling, balanced and flavourful nutritious meals.
A standard economy priced dinner includes one protein entrée, a potato selection, and one other vegetable.
Single serving casseroles and other dinner options are available as well.
These frozen meals are then sold for a low price; a single meal cost $3.50, soup costs $1.
“This is low-sodium diet and quite a bit less expensive than the price of fast food,” Blackwell said.
He has support in Laura Modray, administrator of the Squamish Seniors Citizens Home Society, who said there is a need for a meals on wheels program in town.
“Most of our clients are single seniors and they often lack the incentive to cook for themselves,” Modray said.
“Some of the more elderly are unable to cook, and often will skip meals, or open a can as opposed to eating a healthy balanced meal.”
In North Vancouver, the program has tried to target the entire community as a whole, but soon realised that at least 60 per cent of their current client base is comprised of seniors.
Last year, the program recovered 150 metric tonnes of food that was destined for landfill.
It also produced 10,000 fresh food baskets, used for emergency food distribution to singles, couples, and families.
Members at a recent meeting of the Sea to Sky foodie forum concluded a lack of funds, knowledge of gardening and cooking skills, coordination with food suppliers, and quality of food were some of the major gaps when it comes to creating a food security for everyone.
The food donated is often high in sodium and fat content, and inclusion of First Nation and South Asian community members is a challenge.
Blackwell said organisers of New Hope Cuisine hope to introduce the service soon in Squamish.
If that didn’t work out, he said, he would start such a service from his home.
Darrell says
I find it a real shame that we have to rely on religious organizations to feed our population. What’s the purpose of a town council exactly if not for organizing help for members of our community?