Growing the Vancouver Food Movement Together

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

GORDON NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE TO HOST VANCOUVER’S FIRST ANNUAL VANCOUVER FOOD SUMMIT

Growing the Vancouver Food Movement Together

(Coast Salish Territories) On May 19, 2016 Gordon Neighbourhood House, a nonprofit organization in Vancouver’s West End, will be hosting the first annual Vancouver Food Summit.

The Vancouver Food Summit is an opportunity for community food practitioners, funders, activists and stakeholders to spend a day sharing experience and expertise, challenging assumptions, having difficult conversations and exploring how to deepen our collective impact.

Gordon Neighbourhood House has a strong history of operating community-based food initiatives aimed at lessening food insecurity in its community. According to Paul Taylor, the executive director of Gordon Neighbourhood House, “The Vancouver Food Movement has significant momentum, in fact this year Vancouver celebrates the third anniversary of the Vancouver Food Strategy. A key aspect of the conversation as the movement grows has to be about who is left out of the conversation and why? The Vancouver Food Summit is an opportunity for us to collectively push ourselves to think about how to continue the momentum while being intentional around building an inclusive food movement.”

Event participants will choose between eight different panels throughout the day, involving discussions on eight topics central to Vancouver’s food movement. Topics will include: the advancement of indigenous food sovereignty, a critical look at food banks, the efficacy of food policy at challenging poverty, the question of whether local food is inherently more just, accessibility as it relates to food security, and whether food waste is an opportunity or a curse. Summit participants will be served breakfast as well as lunch with the option of attending a Happy Hour following the event, with local craft beer available. There is a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the Vancouver’s Food Summit, and tickets for the event sold out less than a month after being released.

As part of the burgeoning Canadian Good Food Movement, Gordon Neighbourhood House for the second year in a row has been recognized as a Good Food Organization working in alliance with Community Food Centres Canada. Community Food Centres Canada works with organizations across Canada to build greater capacity for impact and to empower communities to work toward a healthy and fair food system. Gordon Neighbourhood House was awarded one of five $50,000 grants made available across the country by Community Food Centres Canada to grow their food programs. Gordon Neighbourhood House’s community food programs are also supported by the Vancouver Foundation, the City of Vancouver, the United Way of the Lower Mainland, Vancity Credit Union, Whole Foods Market Vancouver and members of the community. Diana Bronson, the executive director of Food Secure Canada, will deliver the keynote presentation at the Vancouver Food Summit.

Gordon Neighbourhood House is a nonprofit organization based in Vancouver’s West End that has been in operation since 1942. The organization functions as a community hub offering services geared toward creating an engaged and vibrant community in which all members feel empowered to participate in society. Gordon Neighbourhood House works alongside community and sister organizations to develop programs that meet the needs of its diverse community. Please visit https://gordonhouse.org/ for more information.

Media Contact:

Carolyn Henson
Gordon Neighbourhood House
(778) 242-0867
carolynjoyhenson@gmail.com

Paul M. Taylor
Gordon Neighbourhood House
Executive Director
(604) 369-3651
paul@gordonhouse.org