In December 2011, a report on Emergency Food Services was published by the University of Guelph’s Institute for Community Engaged Scholarship/Research Shop, and was presented to members of the Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination.
The Report assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the current emergency food system in our community and provided an analysis of best practices in emergency food provision and food security. It also identified strategies for improving emergency food provision and food security in Guelph-Wellington. The full report is available here: http://www.theresearchshop.ca/Resources.
A follow up to this report, which identifies key recommendations for moving forward, was shared at the June 8th meeting of the Poverty Task Force. Members unanimously approved all the recommendations outlined and have committed to seeing them implemented in the next year.
The recommendations focus on three key areas:
- Reducing stigma faced by emergency food service clients by standardizing eligibility and providing training opportunities for emergency food service providers.
- Supporting more opportunities to educate the community about emergency food services and the root causes of poverty.
- Asking the general community, including emergency food service clients, for their input to create community vision of a food hub for Guelph-Wellington.
The full recommendation report can be downloaded HERE.
For more information on the report and how the recommendations are being implemented, please contact Randalin Ellery, Coordinator, Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination, 519-821-0571 x.29 or [email protected]