2. CNH Rise

Project Description

Note: This project will take place online and in person

Context/Background

A community fridge was launched in early 2022 as a low-barrier food sharing initiative, so local residents could access emergency food with the need for intake forms, lineups, etc.. The community fridge is part of a growing Freedge movement based on principles of mutual aid. The fridge was initially stocked by CNH staff and volunteers as a way to redistribute food donations. Over time, the community fridge became a locus of conflict, as it was perceived that some individuals were taking more than their share of food.

In August 2022, RCFJ launched Thursday Food Drop as a new way to redistribute food donations. Food drop is supported by around 10 volunteers and operates through a more traditional food depot model. The community fridge is now mostly stocked by community members sharing their own surplus or donations, and there is less conflict.

Initially, Food Drop was seeing around 10 people/week, which has grown to about 85. Most of the food is donated by one of our partner organizations, CityReach Care Society, which distributes rescued fruits, vegetables, dairy, proteins and grains that would otherwise land in the food waste stream.

Most Food Drop participants are seniors, with a significant portion being Asian seniors. Participants have tended to arrive early (e.g. 9am, while the program begins at noon) and line up in the CNH yard. The resulting congestion and lineup dynamics lends itself to conflict among participants. RCFJ staff have tested different systems to address these tensions, such as drawing and assigning random numbers to participants. While participants have begun to arrive later (around 11am), staff would like student support to improve our food distribution program, with attention to dignity and respect, as well as the efficient flow of participants.

We hope the LFS 350 students will help us connect with participants so we can learn more about their circumstances, their reasons for coming to Food Drop, their awareness of other CNH programs and services, etc.. We also hope the students can bring fresh ideas for designing an efficient and dignified user experience while accessing food at CNH.

With our 2-person staff team and around 10 volunteers, we hope LFS 350 students can help us reduce participant stressors, crowd congestion, and generally support a positive participant experience of the Food Drop program. We hope to cultivate an environment that is characterized by a reduced sense of competition, where Food Drop participants see each other as people, and interact from a place of mutual respect.

Food Systems Issue(s) Addressed in this Project

Keeping in mind CNH's 3 strategic priorities:

• Connect with and be more accessible, equitable and inclusive for people in the community
• Build community capacity to advocate for the future of the people in Renfrew-Collingwood
• Invest in our organizational foundation to support our sustainability and growth

In alignment with our values, we take an asset-based approach to understanding our program participants, rather than focusing only on their food insecurity challenges. It is important to understand where participants are coming from, spatially, culturally, socially, etc.. What has shaped their relationship with food (e.g. traumatic experiences with food scarcity?), are they seeking opportunities for social connection? Do they have ideas for improving the Food Drop experience? There are many things we do not know.

Students with language assets, especially Chinese (Mandarin), Spanish, and Filipino, can speak with participants or otherwise collect feedback from participants, helping us understand their circumstances, motivations for arriving early, and their assets/gifts

Main Project Activities

• Observe Thursday’s CNH Food Drop
• Walk through and map participant journey
• Create survey/interview questions
• Survey or interview Food Drop participants
• Research and make a list of opportunities for seniors to connect with one another before and after Food Drop
• Share ideas to improve Food Drop participants’ experience, keeping in mind line congestion and potential conflicts for participants
• Share ideas to promote an environment characterized by reduced aggression and competition, wherein food hub participants can showcase mutual respect for each other.

Main Project Deliverable(s)

• A map of participant journey
• 1 survey/set of interview questions
• Receive feedback from individual Food Drop participants (target = 25 individuals, or 30% of 85 participants)
• Presentation to volunteers and Food Hub manager and coordinator
• List of opportunities for seniors to connect with one another before and after Food Drop (translated in different languages, if possible)

Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)

• Preferred fluency in Chinese languages (especially Mandarin), Spanish, Filipino languages (especially Tagalog)
• Understanding of trauma-informed practice and its relevance to food security programming
• Experience conducting interviews
• Strong interpersonal skills (e.g. friendliness and empathy!)
• Proactive attitude and work ethic
• Cultural competence and comfortable in multicultural settings
• Being respectful to community members, volunteers, and CNH staff

Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?

• Thursday Food Drop 12-1 pm and starting October 11:30-1:30 pm
• Not every week but students can come to at least 5 sessions to have a better observation

Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?

• Yes
• The CRS process should be initiated before the first community partner meeting
• CRS instructions will be posted in Canvas. Contact your TA or the course coordinator if you need additional support

How much self-direction is expected from the students?

• Deciding on the project deliverable(s): Equal leadership between students and community partner
• 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.): Equal leadership between students and community partner
• Implementing the activity plan (e.g. surveying stakeholder groups): Led by students
• Finalizing the deliverable(s): Mostly led by students, with some community partner input

Related Volunteering/Community Service Opportunities for Students

• Thursday Food Drop, 12-1 pm and starting October 11:30-1:30 pm
• CNH Community Lunch, Tuesday and Thursday 12:15-1:30pm

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.

• Collingwood Neighbourhood House website
• CNH Strategic Plan
• Renfrew Collingwood Food Justice initiatives
• McKnight, John. Asset-Based Community Development: The Essentials (4 page document)
• Community-Centered Food Support and Care for All: A Convening Report (2021)
• Sing, N. (2022). Seniors in Vancouver’s Chinatown are battling poverty and racism to put food on the table

Additional Materials

• Cheng, D. (2023). This east Vancouver neighbourhood program is helping newcomers and Canadians learn about each others' foods
• Renfrew-Collingwood Social Indicators Profile (2020)
• FNH 473 Student report, evaluation plan, and recommendations for the CNH community fridge initiative (April, 2021) - request from Rani Wangsawidjaya.
• Respectful Dialogues Guide (UBC Equity and Inclusion Office)
• Kretzmann, J.P. & Knight, J.L. (1993). Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets (available from UBC Library)
• "Assessing Community Needs and Resources," Community Tool Box (University of Kansas)
• Resilient Neighbourhoods Toolkit (City of Vancouver)
• What Is Trauma-Informed Practice in Social Work? (2020)
• Riley, D.A. (2018). Place-based Storytelling as a Foundation for Neighborhood Planning and Community Development