The June 4 facilitated Food Access conversations organized by HFFA Food Education Literacy and Access members and hosted by Public Health was another success for the group.
Community Services Director Keith Palmer spoke emphatically on the presence of poverty in Headwaters and the importance of having partnerships at the table to address the issue as a community. The follow up forum is scheduled already: on Tuesday November 24, HCIA in partnership with Public Health and the County of Dufferin, will be hosting a Poverty Forum. The Forum will take a broader look at poverty reduction approaches and how community members can support these efforts. Attendees will hear about other community models of poverty reduction (Guelph, Hamilton). Hold that spot in your calendars and stay tuned for details as they develop.
The June 4 afternoon Conversation was around Planting Seeds for a Local Food Programs Network.
The facilitator for the conversation was Ishan Angra of WDG Public Health Unit.
Key outcomes of the session were that four themes emerged :
- Youth/Schools/Education
- Community Food Events
- Community/Urban Gardens
- Networking and Engaging
Next Steps resulting from this session are that HFFA-ELA has new ideas to consider exploring with regards to coordination and integration of programs for youth, community food events (Bounty of the County, Day of Preserves) and networking to enhance collaboration and volunteer mobilization.
