Project Title
Cooking Better Together: Community Kitchen Menu Planning
Hastings Community Centre Food and Garden Programs
Organization Information
Organization Name
Hastings Community Centre Food and Garden Programs
Mission and Vision of Organization
Mission
To increase the capacity & connection of the Hastings Sunrise Community through empowering food & garden programming
Vision
The Hastings-Sunrise Community will be an active player in helping Vancouver become a global leader in urban foods systems through strengthening our food & garden skills to create a community connected through growing & sharing our own food.
Guiding Principles + Values
- Educating
- Inclusive
- Sustainable
- Resourceful
- Decolonizing
- Intergenerational
- Intercultural
- Encouraging stewardship
Contact Information
- Primary Contact Person(s): Lisa Patterson, she/her
- Email: seasonsoffoodhcc@gmail.com
- Phone: 604-718-6232
- Address: 3096 E. Hastings St., Vancouver V5K 2A3
- Website: http://hastingscc.ca/?p=23
Preferred Method of Contact
- Best method(s) to contact: Email
- Best day(s) to contact: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
- Best time(s) to contact: Mornings, Afternoons
Preferred Platform(s) for Remote Collaboration
- In person, Email, Google Meet, Phone, Zoom
Project Description
Note: This project will take place in person
Context: What challenge or issue does the project aim to address?
Community Kitchen at HCC started in about 2006. Parents with children wanted an opportunity to make healthy meals for their families in a social environment while their children were safe and cared for. The program was restructured in 2019 and eventually halted due to COVID-19. Due to popular demand, we are bringing back Community Kitchen in its original format.
The Kitchen Coordinator plans the menu and shops with a $20 per person budget that comes from the fee charged for the program. Once a month, participants come together for a three hour session where they make several dishes (preferably two nights of meals for four people) that they can take home to their families. During the session, participants' children are cared for on-site by experienced childminders.
LFS 350 students will help with session facilitation and menu planning, considering factors such as nutrition, affordability, palatability, ease of preparation, and ease of scalability.
Main Project Activities and Deliverables
- Read the Local Food Systems Action Plan Plan (2021) to contextualize the Community Kitchen program within broader systems
- Provide menu plans for three Community Kitchen sessions
- Develop a spreadsheet to help with calculations for scaling recipes and for budgeting
Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)
- Cooking experience, especially in a group or community setting
- Knowledge of nutrition
- Budgeting skills and understanding the cost of food
- Facilitation experience
Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?
- Community Kitchen session dates: September 13, October 11, November 8
- Students should plan to be available for on-site work the morning of October 11 and November 8
Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?
- No
How much self-direction is expected from the students?
| Deciding on the project deliverable(s) | Mostly led by community partner, with some student input |
| Developing the activity plan and timeline | Mostly led by students, with some community partner input |
| Scheduling and initiating the communication plan (e.g. weekly Zoom check-in, biweekly email update, etc.) | Mostly led by students, with some community partner input |
| Implementing the activity plan (e.g. surveying stakeholder groups) | Equal leadership between students and community partner |
| Finalizing the deliverable(s) | Mostly led by students, with some community partner input |
Preferred Days of Week and Hours
- See "mandatory attendance dates"
- Otherwise, flexible
Related Community Service Opportunities for Students
- There are many opportunities to get involved with our food program, including our food-producing garden. Please ask for more information!
Required Reading
Project/Partner Orientation Materials
Students should review the following materials prior to the first partner meeting. Additional orientation materials may be provided at the first partner meeting.
- Local Food Systems Action Plan (LFSAP) (2021)
- Hastings Learning Garden web page
- About Community Kitchens
Additional Materials
- Hastings-Sunrise Neighbourhood Social Indicators Profile (2020). Department of Social Policy, City of Vancouver.
- Checklist for accessible and inclusive event planning. UBC Equity and Inclusion Office
- Putting your kitchen to work: A resource guide for increasing the use of publicly accessible kitchens through food based programming (2017). City of Vancouver, Department of Social Planning & Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.
Expected Outcomes
Intended Short-term Project Outcome
HCC community kitchen leaders have some new menu plans, helping to provide quality, cost-effective recipes for participants
Learning Outcomes
Through this project, I think students will learn about...
- How our community centre and food program are working to implement the LFSAP
- Planning nutritious, delicious meals on a budget
- Working with others in a kitchen environment
By working on this project, I think students will develop skills and/or awareness of...
- Cost of food
- Designing and facilitating a group cooking experience
- How experience levels and comfort in the kitchen can vary widely in a group
- How scaling up of recipes to a large amount can be challenging.
By the end of the project, I believe students will come to appreciate...
- The social capital we create when we work on a shared project together