NDG FOOD SECURITY COALITION
The NDG Food Security Coalition works to support our partners in developing an integrated and sustainable food system to ensure food security for all citizens of NDG. It facilitates collaboration amongst community organizations that provide services to address problems related to food insecurity. The Table is currently coordinated by the NDG Community Council
VISION & MISSION
The NDG Coalition for Food Security has a vision that all residents of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce will have access to sufficient, healthy, affordable and culturally-appropriate food.
Our mission is to improve the capacity of community members to ensure food security for all residents of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Our mission is to improve the capacity of community members to ensure food security for all residents of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Highlights 2019-2020
- Undertook research in conjunction with the Dawson College Food Justice and Sustainability Hub. This research documents the flow of activities and actions that organizations in NDG have undertaken to address food insecurity and/or changes to the food system in NDG. This research also studies the process of decision-making and implementation of local action in NDG, and the development of local policy and activities that organizations collectively undertake through or with other organizations to address the issues of food insecurity and/ or changes to the local food system. The first phase of this research is complete.
- Action item to coordinate Healthy Snacks Program, delivering healthy snacks to youth in after-school programming and summer camps is successfully ongoing. This program has been successful in its delivery of healthy snacks to youth in after-school programming and summer camps, and the action’s responsibility has been adopted by the Depot.
- Members continue to advocate for public support for universal school food policy in public schools, as well as to support the capacity of community partners who work towards food security for all residents of NDG
- Beginning in March 2020, the Coalition began meeting weekly as the NDG COVID-19 Food Security Sub-Cellule and collectively created a joint Action Plan
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES & PROJECTS
Food Security Capacity Assessment
The Food Security Coalition received funding from Québec en Forme to conduct a capacity assessment and inventory of food security organisations and services in NDG. With this study, the Coalition plans to review its role and determine how it can best support its members, as well as determine new priorities and write an action plan for the years 2017-2022. The Coalition continues to participate in citywide initiatives to address food security. This has included participating in meetings organized by the Direction de la Santé Publique de Montréal, as well as the Système Alimentaire Montréalais (SAM). The Coalition is also keeping its eye on new developments happening at the City level, with talk of developing a Montréal Food Policy Council.
NDG Good Food Market
After being transferred over to the NDG Food Depot to manage, the project De la Terre, à la Table changed its name to the NDG Good Food Market / Marché Bonne Bouffe NDG. The market had its debut on June 19th, 2015 at the NDG Food Depot, and has continued ever since every Friday. During the fall of 2015, there were two pilot satellite markets that took place over four weeks: one next to the Walkley Center and one at George St. Pierre park in the St. Raymond sector. The satellite markets were a great success and will continue again this year during the entire summer and fall. For more information concerning the Market, please contact the market coordinator Nicolas Braesch at the NDG Food Depot: marche@depotndg.org The co-coordinators would like to thank members of the NDG Food Security Coalition, the Walkley Center, the CDN-NDG borough and the NDG Food Depot in making NDG markets a reality! The NDG Food Depot has done an amazing job managing the project. The NDG Community Council continues to be the fiduciary of the project.
The food security symposium ,De la Terre, à la Table,
took place on February 27, 2014 at the NDG Food Depot. More than a hundred participants gathered to discuss the issue of accessibility to fresh fruits and vegetables in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. In addition to sharing their ideas for an innovative project, participants were able to learn about the latest progress of the DSP funded project. The NDG Coalition for Food Security has received $45, 000 per year, for the next five years, to conduct a pilot project to help increase the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables for residents of NDG, with a focus on the four following sectors: Fielding-Walkley, Westhaven, Benny Farm and St. Raymond.
De la Terre, à la Table was transformed into the NDG Good Food Market, which is currently managed by the NDG Food Depot. Please see Projects.
De la Terre, à la Table was transformed into the NDG Good Food Market, which is currently managed by the NDG Food Depot. Please see Projects.
MEMBERS
- CIUSSS-CO Cavendish
- NDG Community Council
- The Depot Community Food Centre
- St. Monica's Food Pantry
- St. Thomas Church
- Concordia Greenhouse - City Farm School
- NDG Senior Citizens' Council
- Transition NDG
- ICNA Relief Montreal Resource Center and Food Bank
- CSDM
- New Hope
- Head & Hands
DOCUMENTS & USEFUL LINKS
GUIDE: Food Security Resources & Initiatives
This guide was assembled by the NDG Community Council -Resource Center.