Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Vince Fedoroff

CAMPAIGN KICKOFF – Kate Mechan, Bill Thomas, Charlotte Hrenchuck and Christina Craig, left-right, are seen at the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition press conference this morning. Poverty and Homelessness Action Week starts today.

Food security highlighted during launch of poverty week

Poverty and Homelessness Action Week this year is focused on food as the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition calls for more action to address food security at both a local and national level as it serves up a few practical proposals as well.

By Stephanie Waddell on October 16, 2014

Poverty and Homelessness Action Week this year is focused on food as the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition calls for more action to address food security at both a local and national level as it serves up a few practical proposals as well.

The annual campaign was launched this morning in the lobby of the Yukon government’s main administrative building.

It’s no coincidence that this year’s efforts focus on food, organizers said, pointing to the need for a food security plan that goes beyond the emergency food programs in the city.

The Whitehorse Food Bank – which provides three days’ worth of emergency food to clients each month – along with meal services provided through organizations like the Salvation Army, the Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre, Mary House, Blood Ties Four Directions, the Youth of Today Society and the Boys and Girls Club and others, though needed, do not address the underlying issues of poverty that contribute to food insecurity, coalition co-chair Bill Thomas told the small group gathered for the kick-off.

He pointed to the Yukon Nutrition Framework released in 2010 that identified food as a human right and set out a goal of a food-secure territory.

Thomas said he looks forward to the day government accomplishes that goal and maintains food as a human right.

He went on to point out there’s no federal strategy or plan to deal with food security.

Charlotte Hrenchuck, the coalition’s other co-chair, then pointed to the local situation that has seen increases across the board in the number of clients accessing the food bank and the 12 other programs in the city that offer meals.

“We think we can do better than this,” she said, later taking the opportunity to point out the Safe Place drop-in program, which offers a hot meal and safe place for women to drop-in Friday to Sunday evenings, is in danger of ending in two weeks if funding can’t be found.

The program, she said, began in December with anywhere from five to 18 women along with three to 10 kids attending.

Funding was initially provided by the United Way for three months with a crowd-sourcing campaign covering the costs since then, but as Hrenchuck explained, that’s just not sustainable.

It’s just one example of a program that provides a meal to those in need.

Organizers cited one of the major issues for those struggling to feed their families or just themselves is the high cost of rent with many spending more than 30 per cent of their income on housing.

That means little is left over for groceries.

While work needs to be done to address numerous issues around food security, Kate Mechan, who works on special projects with the coalition, highlighted the importance of building on successes, such as the fact Whitehorse has a food bank and meal programs.

Work is underway to get a community food council going that would look at the multitude of issues around food security, she said.

While there have been a number of networking forums over the last couple of years dealing with a range of issues around food, she said what’s been found is a strategy is needed to address the issues out there.

“There’s no shortage of will,” Mechan said, stating her hope food security advocate Jonathan Bird’s presentation set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Westmark Whitehorse will help kick-start the formation of a local food council.

Other initiatives during the week include the public being invited to submit recipes that could stretch budgets using ingredients typically found in a hamper provided by the food bank. Officials from the Whitehorse Food Bank and a local dietician will review the recipes and select the top ones to be featured in the food bank’s newsletter. A larger cookbook featuring all the recipes, after they’ve been reviewed, will then be compiled and available through the food bank.

Recipes must be submitted by Monday.

Coalition officials are also using the campaign as an opportunity for residents to call on the national government to come up with a strategy to address poverty through the chewonthis.ca site.

Individual actions such as purchasing locally grown food and lobbying government to address poverty and food security were also encouraged by the coalition as they launched Poverty and Homelessness Action Week.

Comments (6)

Up 4 Down 0

June Jackson on Oct 22, 2014 at 12:25 pm

There are people who genuinely need a little help from time to time. But, there is also that group of people who choose poverty. They choose to spend their money on cigarettes, liquor, Listerine, glue, pot etc. They choose not to pay rent, or buy food. They trust that someone else will give that to them. I am pretty much fed up with all the poverty whining. Yet, I still like to contribute to my community.. so? the little 3 year old needing treating in Vancouver? You get my money.. a community fund raiser for a burned out family? You get my money. For those who are in true need, I hope I will be there for you too. For the couple in the brand new big black shiny truck parked around the corner while they walk to the food bank? I hope Karma gets you.

Up 10 Down 7

north_of_60 on Oct 18, 2014 at 5:04 pm

Most of the 'food' given out by the food bank is processed, over-packaged stuff, with questionable nutritive value per dollar. A large percent of our food donation money goes to companies outside who process, package and transport it here. That's a lot of wasted money, and a lot of additional garbage to process.

It would be much more effective to give the money to local farmers to provide real food to central kitchens that could prepare and serve one good nutritious meal each day for people who need food assistance. There are many venues around town that have the facilities to provide this.

Up 22 Down 2

Groucho d'North on Oct 18, 2014 at 9:13 am

Now food is a human right just like housing. I would like someone to explain to the reading audience just what they mean by this statement, because it is beginning to sound like more entitlement for those who do not have capacity or desire to care for themselves.

Up 27 Down 5

Yukoner 2 on Oct 17, 2014 at 11:39 am

@ Mark Not So Smart. Mark people need a hand up not a hand out. The problem here is most of the people here don't want a hand up they just want the hand out and feel they are entitled. So you and the people that think the way you do are the problem.

Up 9 Down 30

Mark Smart on Oct 16, 2014 at 4:49 pm

@Yukoner2
Your comment is too cynical and its inappropriate. Many people need hand outs because poverty can happen to anyone.

Up 31 Down 6

Yukoner 2 on Oct 16, 2014 at 3:25 pm

More entitlement . There is always a hand out in todays society maybe friends of sima can feed every body.

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