Last month, we introduced our Food Skills For Families to build food literacy skills for newcomer women, teaching them how to prepare and cook new and unfamiliar foods and to develop nutritional knowledge and budgeting skills. Our program includes supplementary food hampers and bus tickets, increasing access.

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The program was created with an understanding that immigrant women need additional support on how to handle, cook, and eat local foods that they have never encountered before. New foods also require new knowledge of nutritional values to optimize family health. Moreover, newly arriving families undergo a learning curve with purchasing and managing food in a new context and on a limited budget.

For our first session, our participants learned to prepare fresh, local produce, as they made salad, chips and guac, chicken tenders, stew, and cupcakes. They learned strategies to eating healthy, new kitchen vocabulary, how to read recipes, and of course, everyone ate together and enjoyed their delicious creations!

“Thank you so much. It was a great day. I really enjoyed it and the food was very delicious. Thank you so much for everyone.” – Hadisa
“It was a great experience learning new recipes. My favourite was the salad!!!” – Wendy
“Today was my first day at the Food Skills Program, and it was amazing, because I was able to meet new people, and it was very nice, but also, I got to know many new ways of cooking. For example, I learned to bake cupcakes in a much easier and richer way than I knew, and I am very proud to know that I can bake, thanks to this program.” – Laura

View the program flyer here.

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Food Skills for Families builds off of our Food Access Project, an emergency response program created to address increased food insecurity during the pandemic. Through Food Access, we distributed food hampers and care packages to 60 families with children each week in Burnaby and South Vancouver, supporting those living in a low-income bracket or on social assistance.

We are so thrilled to have been able to deliver such a successful program and to support our participants during challenging times:

“The food support is very needed, great help each week to get your food hamper.” -Erica
“Thank you for more vegetables and fruit. Today, the food box and slice bread was gratefully needed and received, and thank you for salma diwali dress xxxxx.” – Mandeesh
“I’m so grateful this week. Especially baby milk and diapers are so helpful. As BC has more positive cases after Thanksgiving, I was even afraid of going outside for milk with baby. We enjoyed milk. It’s been a week.Thank you.” – Jinhui
“I write these words as a symbol of gratitude for all the love I have received through food and snacks of excellent quality and good condition from the Food hub program! This program helped calm my anxiety about getting food for my son and me. As a single mother, you must know how difficult it is to support and give quality time to my son! Receiving food from this association has always been a blessing in my life. I testify that this noble program had helped with love families in need! I can only express forever my gratitude for this precious program.” – Laura Elena
“I really appreciate the food today. I was crying as I was so overwhelmed and frustrated but got warmed because of you all. My baby liked meatballs and spaghetti as well. Thank you for making this world a better place since you are helping miserable people like my baby and me.” – J.B.
“Thank you very very much for going above and beyond your job. I am really grateful that you went out of your way to drop off our food hamper. We really appreciate it big time. It was a big help. :-) Again, maraming salamat. With a grateful heart.” – K.M.
“The meal program has been a great help to my son and me because I can fill my fridge with food, save money, and not be so worried that maybe there is not enough money. I want to thank you for the generosity that you have with us. Greetings from Gaby and André”
“Always grateful for all the help.” –Kathleen
“Thank you Mariana for the food provided by the food hub. It is a great help for families. I like the quality and variety of food.” -Wendy