December 9, 2020
Good Food Access Fund Grant will support South Georgian Bay families who are struggling with food access
Wasaga Beach, Ontario – December 9, 2020 – The South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre (SGBCHC) is pleased to announce that it has received a grant of $20,000 from Community Food Centres Canada’s Good Food Access Fund. The grant will provide South Georgian Bay community partners with grocery gift cards to help support individuals and families struggling with food access. Funding is provided in part by the Government of Canada’s Local Food Infrastructure Fund, as part of the Food Policy for Canada. The Fund aims to strengthen food systems and facilitate access to safe and nutritious food for at-risk populations.
“COVID-19 has amplified household food insecurity here in South Georgian Bay and we’re seeing more people struggle to provide enough food for themselves and their families,” said Courtney O’Neill, Registered Dietitian at the SGBCHC. “We are very grateful to Community Food Centres Canada’s Good Food Access Fund for providing this essential funding to help us and our partners offer emergency food relief in our community.”
Grocery gift cards will be distributed through various South Georgian Bay community partners including Breaking Down Barriers Independent Resource Living Centre, Collingwood Public Library, Collingwood Youth Centre, E3 Community Services Inc., Georgian Bay Family Health Team, Home Horizon Transitional Support Program, My Friends House Shelter for Abused Women and Children, the Food and Meal Program for Out of the Cold Collingwood/Community Connection 211, and the South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre.
“Food insecurity was already an urgent problem before the COVID-19 crisis, with one in 8 Canadians struggling to put food on the table. In a time of national crisis, it is in our nature as Canadians to do what we can for our most vulnerable neighbours. We are grateful to the Government of Canada for their quick response, as well as the many corporate partners and generous donors who have stepped forward” says Nick Saul, CEO of Community Food Centres Canada. “The Good Food Access Fund aims to make sure that as many people as possible will be able to get the food that they need. And while we must deal with the current circumstances, CFCC remains committed to advancing policy change that addresses the underlying causes of food insecurity and poverty in Canada. We can’t forget that structural inequity is at the core of so many of the challenges that Canadians face, a fact which painfully confronts us when an emergency like this occurs.”
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About Community Food Centres Canada – Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC) builds health, belonging and social justice in low-income
communities through the power of food. We work with 13 Community Food Centres and 183 Good Food Organizations in 175 communities across Canada. Our Good Food Access Fund was established to provide emergency relief during this time of national crisis to our most vulnerable neighbours. Learn more at cfccanada.ca or follow @aplaceforfood.
About the South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre – The South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre is a non-profit, community-governed, charitable organization that focuses on the health and wellbeing of individuals in the community. They provide everyone in the community with access to health care services, free community programs and community development. The SGBCHC is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, through the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network. For more information please visit www.southgeorgianbaychc.ca.
Media Contact:
Louise Picot
South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre
705-606-1549
louise@louisepicot.com