Kick-off of the Everybody Eats Program (EEP) on June 15th
Christine Bruce, Foodsecurity Program Coordinator at SCSA.
We are thrilled to announce that June 15, marks the kickoff of Everybody Eats Program (EEP).
The EEP is a food security initiative by the Smithers Community Services Association. It aims to enhance food security through a comprehensive program that includes food hampers, coupons, and educational efforts. This initiative ensures that community members have access to fresh, local, and healthy food without any barriers. This program is an essential step towards improving community food security, with a client-centric approach that emphasizes enhanced inclusion and accessibility.
What is Everybody Eats
The "Everybody Eats" initiative represents a transformative step for the Smithers Community Services Association (SCSA), evolving from the traditional Hamper Program to a more inclusive and accessible model that aligns with the mission of “creating a diverse community where every individual is embraced and empowered”. This rebranding signifies a shift towards a year-round, client-centered approach, aiming to provide equitable food access to all members of the community.
The initiative builds on the legacy of the Christmas Hamper Program, expanding its reach to serve not just clients but also non-clients, reflecting a commitment to food equity. The support from volunteers and sponsors has been instrumental in the success of the Hamper program, and the SCSA seeks to maintain and enhance these relationships through Everybody Eats. The program is designed to be an innovative solution that places the recipients at the heart of food choice, ensuring that no one in need of support is excluded. Through partnerships and collaborations, Everybody Eats aims to uphold the values of inclusivity and accessibility, embodying the spirit of the SCSA's mission statement.
Kit off the program on Saturday June 15
Starting June 15, Every Saturday, “Everybody Eats” will have a booth at the BV Farmers’ Market in Smithers. This initiative not only provides ways for people to access market food but also aims to connect people with food on a deeper level.
Each week, we will be introducing a different type of food. This will allow you to learn all about the food and what you can do with it. For example, you will get to know where it came from, how to prepare it, and how to process it for later use. We will also explore larger considerations, such as the relationships we can build around food.
At our booth, we will share information about the coupon program and offer market tours to anyone interested. We encourage coupon participants from all distributors to use their coupons and interact with market vendors.
Additionally, we will have a Pay-It-Forward option at our booth, known as the Love Notes project. This allows anyone to purchase anything at the market from a participating vendor and leave the receipt at our booth for anyone in need to redeem.
The “Everybody Eats” program is more than just about food; it’s about what food brings to our community. It fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation for food, makes market food more accessible, encourages interactions between coupon holders and market vendors, and builds community relationships through shared experiences with food.
Small Hamper Program
If you can’t obtain a coupon, you might receive a Love Note. One of the vendors has expressed interest in regularly donating small packages of vegetables to the Love Notes project, which would be akin to a mini-Christmas hamper.
We are collaborating with farmers who will display samples of vegetables at their stalls. The items will vary each week, and we will provide recipes that incorporate the featured vegetable at our booth. To foster a personal connection between consumers and farmers, we’ll guide shoppers to the samples and offer a corresponding recipe.
Additionally, we’ll distribute pamphlets containing educational tips, offers for farm tours, food talks, workshops, games, and puzzles. The primary goal is to achieve a redemption rate of over 100% on the market coupons, supplemented by Love Notes.
We will also coordinate food talks and workshops. We hope these will occur off-site, and the plan is to bring the Everybody Eats booth to other events, such as those at The Meadows where seniors can enjoy fellowship over a hot meal. Seniors living at home could potentially be transported to The Meadows for these events, allowing the entire community to partake in this opportunity.
Start Small Think Big
Everyone who visits our “Everybody Eats” table will be registered in some way: either listed as part of a service in town or added to a waiting list. Many of our supporters and sponsors will be encouraged to advocate for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income (GLBI) with our provincial and national politicians.
Will it work here in Smithers? We cannot simply say “yes’, but with your support, success is much more likely. Be part of the “Love Notes” project! You can support and potentially attract business sponsorships, introduce more eaters to farmers and vendors, and receive hampers in a respectful manner. There are various ways to be part of this community collaboration.
Our Philosophy of the Client-Centric Approach program
• The approach shifts the paradigm from a traditional charity model to one that promotes inclusivity, equity, and personal agency. It emphasizes the importance of moving away from a system where food is simply donated, and recipients have little say in what they receive. Instead, it advocates for a model where individuals are empowered to make their own choices about food, thereby restoring a sense of control and dignity.
• The approach also focuses on enabling rather than rescuing, offering support such as guided tours of markets to alleviate anxiety and ensure comfort with the process. It seeks to implement long-term problem-solving strategies that consider the needs and input of the recipients, rather than temporary fixes that may not address underlying issues.
• Ultimately, the goal of the Client-Centric Approach is to transform the dynamic from one of "power over" to "power with," where assistance is provided in a way that uplifts and empowers individuals, giving them a 'hand up' rather than just a 'handout.' This philosophy is about restoring power to the people it serves, ensuring they are active participants in the programs designed to benefit them.
The official Everybody Eats logo
Our logo artist is Stephanie Alfred, a Wet'suwet'en woman and a member of the Likhts’amisyu clan. She incorporated the Gitdumden clan because Smithers is on Cas Yikh territory; the Gitdumden bear holds a salmon because salmon hold the power of transformation, to shed old patterns and beliefs that no longer serve us, and to welcome the opportunity for rebirth.
The farmer is holding a jar as an offering, to show respect, gratitude, maintaining a reciprocal relationship with ancestors; in return the farmer is gifted fruits, vegetables, and herbs. These are all medicine from the territory; the honey represents pleasure, sweetness, truth and knowledge. One final truth from Stephanie: once you move away from the mindset of profit and learn to offer to the community, you’re rewarded with vibrant growing seasons.
More about the program:http://www.scsa.ca/images/uploads/documents/EEProject_June15_(1).pdf
Media Contact
Christine Bruce, Food Security Program Coordinator
[email protected]
Media Contact
Myung Lee, Execitive Director
[email protected] 604-401-0234