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About UIFSP
Urban Indigenous Food Security Program is funded by United Way, offers many learning opportunities for clients to empower food security. We will aim to:
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Provide methods used to resource food - food banks/ grocery hauls/ community gardens.
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Provide education for basic gardening skills, urban gardening tips.
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Create a space where working as a group for the common good provides a greater sense of community and connectedness to others, self, and nature.
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Teach traditional Indigenous knowledge about growing, harvesting, ceremonial foods and the role of food in the community both historically and presently.
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Teach practical skills to improve nutritional intake on a budget, increase variety of recipes, learn to grow fresh food at home, food storage, and food preservation.
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Access to knowledge on food sales happening in the community/ local grocery stores (greater buying power for the dollar).
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Reduction in the percentage of budget spent on groceries monthly.
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Reduction in stress around budgeting, meal prepping.
Gardening
Growing our own food is like printing your own money and it is a knowledge we all should possess. UIFSP offers volunteer opportunities for community gardens and provides workshops with Indigenous teachers to deepen understanding of Traditional growing and harvesting techniques.
Workshops on urban gardening are also provided, for anyone looking to start their own home garden.
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“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” -Alfred Austin
Food Skills
Food waste is a rising epidemic. Canadian statistics say about 25% of residential garbage is uneaten or spoiled food, and 45% of all produced fruits and vegetables are wasted. The UIFSP provides educational workshops on how to reduce food waste through a variety of food skills. Preservation, storage, meal planning, urban gardening, budgeting, and more are offered through our program events.
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“Imagine walking out of a grocery store with four bags of groceries, dropping one in the parking lot, and just not bothering to pick it up. That’s essentially what we’re doing.” – Dana Gunders