7,000 to be granted to community initiatives at 7 Kingston area organizations

The Regina Rosen Food First Fund, held within The Community Foundation for Kingston and Area, will be granting $7,000 to support 7 initiatives by local food providing or food security organizations in the Kingston area, projected to directly impact over 7,000 individuals. A full list of the 7 funded projects can be found below.

The Regina Rosen Food First Fund was established by the Foundation’s Board of Directors in 2012, and named in honour of Regina (Gini) Rosen in recognition of her exceptional involvement with the Foundation and her passion for ensuring equitable access to healthy food.

Regina Rosen Food First Fund Recipients:

• Community Living – North Frontenac, “Living, Cooking, Eating”
• Extend-A-Family Kingston, “GrowAbility Greenhouses Project”
• Kingston Literacy & Skills, “Care for Newcomer Children (CNC) Fresh Food”
• Rural Frontenac Community Services, “Emergency Food Access in Rural Frontenac
• The Spire / Sydenham Street United Church, “Sydenham Street Food Voucher Program”
• Trellis HIV & Community Care, “Breakfast Program/Food Initiative Program”
• YMCA of Eastern Ontario, “Work Hard Eat Well”

Community Living – North Frontenac, “Living, Cooking, Eating”

Community Living – North Frontenac empowers individuals living with an intellectual disability to secure access to healthy safe food and develop life skills such as budgeting, cooking, meal preparation, and making healthy food choices. For almost 50 years, Community Living – North Frontenac has provided group workshops for healthy eating, one to one support in meal preparation, and food shopping. The “Living, Cooking, Eating Project” empowers adults living with intellectual disabilities to secure access to good food, make healthy food choices, and cook independently. This funding will be used to build three raised vegetable gardens to support adults living with intellectual disabilities learning about growing their own food, nutrition, meal plans, and cooking.

Impact: 50 Individals

Extend-A-Family Kingston, “GrowAbility Greenhouses Project”

This project will support the increased cost of supplies with Extend-A-Family’s freestanding, self-contained hydroponic greenhouse systems. The units can grow up to 1,200 heads of produce every 4-6 weeks, year-round, using less than 100 square feet due to their vertical growing configuration. EAFK works with local food distribution organizations to distribute this produce at no cost to those facing food insecurity. With the support of the Regina Rosen Food First Fund, EAFK will be able to purchase nutrients in bulk that will support an entire year of growing in a single hydroponic unit, which translates to the growth of over 10,000 heads of produce that can be donated back to the community.

Impact: 600 Individuals

Kingston Literacy & Skills, “Care for Newcomer Children (CNC) Fresh Food Program”

The LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) program at Kingston Literacy & Skills provides settlement and English-language training to refugees and protected families new to Kingston. They also provide childcare for children of adult LINC students through their CNC (Care for Newcomer Children) program, which includes providing breakfast, lunch, and a healthy snack to these children 4 days a week. The CNC program is 100% free to families enrolled in the LINC program. Providing meals and snacks to the children is a food security support for newcomer families and helps to establish healthy eating habits for children coming from vulnerable life situations. This funding will be used to allow KL&S to continue to offer a variety of fresh food choices, Halal choices, and healthy snacks for CNC participants.

Impact: 13 Individuals

Rural Frontenac Community Services, “Emergency Food Access in Rural Frontenac”

Rural Frontenac Community Services is a rural service hub based in Sharbot Lake, providing a range of services to enable rural residents to live rural life to the fullest. Many of their programs offer a nutritious meal or snack, and they produce meals in their commercial kitchen for Meals-On-Wheels and their licensed daycare. This grant helps them to address the immediate food insecurity of community members by offering a food voucher at the local grocery store. Precarious employment and fixed incomes, along with rising food and housing costs, has taken a significant toll on rural residents. Providing emergency food vouchers allows RFCS to address food insecurity effectively and respectfully in rural Frontenac.

Impact: 65 Individuals

The Spire / Sydenham Street United Church, “Sydenham Street Food Voucher Program”

The Food Voucher Program provides grocery store vouchers to individuals and families who are in need of support. The vouchers allow recipients to purchase food of their choosing through grocery store vouchers provided by program volunteers. The recipients are treated with respect and dignity, are supported emotionally, and are given advice on purchasing wisely. The Sydenham Street United Church administers the program, which is comprised of a team of caring volunteers. Funding will be used to purchase additional food vouchers and hygiene products that are offered onsite to those who use the program every week as well as those who drop in and are experiencing a food emergency.

Impact: 50 Individuals

Trellis HIV & Community Care, “Breakfast Program/ Food Initiative Program”

This funding allows Trellis to continue to provide both a breakfast program and a food stall program. Trellis provides those in need with a healthy breakfast 5 mornings a week, for either a sit-down meal and or take away meal. In addition, their Food Initiative Program allows for the purchase of fresh fruits weekly to stock their food stall. This funding will support both the breakfast program and the food stall program. These programs serve those who are marginalized, including those living in shelters and/or living on the streets, as well as working-class poor people and folks who are living on a fixed income.

Impact: 750 Individuals

YMCA of Eastern Ontario, “Work Hard Eat Well”

Work Hard Eat Well (WHEW) at the YMCA is for ages 6-14 years, running 3 days a week during the school year and 5 days a week during the summer as camp. The program free and open to all children and youth, many of whom are vulnerable. The funding will allow for the purchase of food for the program, as food insecurity is high in the areas served. The program serves individuals in communities that need financial assistance and are finding it hard to make ends meet. Participation is increasing exponentially, with children and youth often coming in for their meals and a safe environment.

Impact: 75 Individuals