There are many reasons to聽be excited about summer time in Victoria: sunshine, flowers, festivals, beaches, patios, parks and so much more.
Another reason is the quantity and quality of farmers鈥� markets in the capital region. Strolling by table after table of fresh, local fruits and vegetables at any number of the region鈥檚 bountiful farmers鈥� markets, you can鈥檛 help but be amazed at what this land we live on is capable of producing.
Unfortunately, it鈥檚 also easy to forget that, despite this abundance, there are still so many in our community who don鈥檛 easily have access to fresh, healthy food.
Food insecurity refers not only to the amount of food an individual, family or community has access to, but the quality of that food. And in our聽region, 50,000 people, about 14 per cent of the population, can be described as food-insecure.
But as with so many areas of concern in our community, where there is an identifiable problem, there are caring, committed people trying to fix聽it.
From food banks to community kitchens, urban farming to meal programs and gleaning projects, there are many ways non-profits in our region are tackling food insecurity, from seed to table.
For example, LifeCycles鈥� Fruit Tree and Farm Gleaning projects see thousands of pounds of crops from urban orchards and local farms saved from rotting on the tree or in the ground and instead diverted to neighbourhood food hubs.
Projects such as this allow organizations such as Rainbow Kitchen to provide daily hot lunches and other programs targeting food insecurity. The Esquimalt-based non-profit serves more than 36,000 meals each year in a nonjudgmental, welcoming environment, a vital service to our community.
The collaborative Food Rescue Project, supported by the Victoria Foundation, is currently diverting up to 2,000 kilograms of food per day from the landfill and getting it into the hands and stomachs of those who need it most. The project helps feed segments of the population that are unfortunately often more susceptible to food insecurity: seniors, students, First Nations, families on a fixed income.
These are just a few of the many examples of how non-profits in our region are working year-round, including the summer, toward solving the problem of food insecurity.
So while filling your tote bag with the beautiful greens, purples, reds and yellows of the season, please take a moment to think about those who don鈥檛 have the same access to healthy food, and about how you might be able to help.
Sandra Richardson is CEO of the Victoria Foundation.
