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.
The Coalition’s mission is to improve the capacity of community members to ensure food security for residents of NDG. To this end, the Coalition has been active in supporting the development of various joint initiatives between our partners to meet the needs of their most vulnerable clientele, sharing information between partners about regional initiatives in food security, and fostering collective action against the root causes of hunger in our community.
PARTNERS
- Arrondissement de CDN-NDG,
- Bread & Beyond,
- CLSC Benny Farm (CIUSSS Centre-Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montreal),
- CIUSSS du Centre Ouest de Montréal,
- Cummings Centre,
- Depot Community Food Centre,
- Head and Hands,
- Maison Mosaik Family Resource Centre,
- mind.heart.mouth,
- New Hope Seniors’ Centre,
- Parents Engagés pour la Petite Enfance (PEP),
- Westhaven Recreation Centre,
- Women on the Rise
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES & PROJECTS
2024-2025
The Coalition has been active in supporting the development of various joint initiatives between our partners to meet the needs of their most vulnerable clientele, sharing information between partners about regional initiatives in food security, and fostering collective action against the root causes of hunger in our community.
NDG, along with all other boroughs in Montréal, has seen an immense increase in the number of people experiencing food insecurity. As a direct result, our partners have seen an overwhelming demand for food at their pantries, community meals, and other programming.
This year, the Coalition established its Action plan, identifying two main issues to work on together:
- Project Frigos-partages with the support of the Participative Budget funding
- Advocacy at the Federal Level for Increased Income Support, particularly through the creation of Groceries and Essentials Benefit ‘’GEB’’)
Along with an increase in demand for food baskets, we also worked around lack of community kitchen spaces, challenges in schools for snacks and lunches and adapted food needs for seniors. One of our successes is to partner one of our local organisations with one of the local high school annex: sandwiches are now delivered to the school for students who are facing food insecurity.
NDG, along with all other boroughs in Montréal, has seen an immense increase in the number of people experiencing food insecurity. As a direct result, our partners have seen an overwhelming demand for food at their pantries, community meals, and other programming.
In March 2024, the Coalition, the Depot, and the CDN-NDG Borough collectively organised a Round Table to consult the neighbourhood on a Plan de Développement d'une Communauté Nourricière (PDCN) . The Coalition is also an ongoing participant in Dawson College’s research project.
"Building a Nourishing NDG" Forum.
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.
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.
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.