[Via Communist Internet... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2001 7:00 AM Subject: [ourhomes-toronto] The Good Food Box The program The Good Food Box is a non-profit fresh fruit and vegetable distribution system operated by FoodShare. The program was started in January 1994, when staff packed forty boxes in the basement of our office. Now we distribute 4,000 boxes per month through 200 neighborhood-based drop-offs! It runs like a large buying club with centralized buying and co-ordination. Twice a month individuals place orders for boxes with volunteer co-ordinators in their neighborhood. Volunteers pack the boxes every Tuesday Customers pay between $10 and $30 for their box, depending on the version that they choose. FoodShare's buyers purchase top-quality fruit and vegetables from the Ontario Food Terminal, or directly from local farmers, and volunteers pack the boxes at the FoodShare warehouse. Each box contains the same mixture of food, though the contents change with each delivery, depending on what is in season and reasonable at the time. FoodShare truck drivers deliver the boxes to the neighborhood drop-offs, where the local volunteer co-ordinators ensure that customers pick-up their boxes. We deliver to daycares, apartment buildings, churches-- anywhere there are 8-10 people who want to buy a box. We choose Ontario products for the box whenever possible because we want to know where and how our food is produced, to support local farmers and reduce the fossil fuels burned when we import food. Customers pay the cost of the food itself, while distribution overheads are subsidized. Also available are a fruit basket, an organic box, and the "Reach for 5" basket, geared to seniors, that contains prepared, cut-up fruit and vegetables. All of the boxes are accompanied by a newsletter that offers nutrition information, as well as easy and economical food preparation tips. Professional evaluation of The Good Food Box shows that participating in the program helps people access a more nutritious diet. It is now thought that up to 70% of deaths result from diseases that have a diet-related dimension, and there is mounting evidence that eating enough fruit and vegetables is key to preventing disease. Not only is it a matter of justice that everyone should have access to the food they need to keep them healthy- it also makes sense because of the enormous costs to the health care system that result from treating these diseases. The Good Food Box makes top-quality, fresh food available in a way that does not stigmatize people, fosters community development and promotes healthy eating. FoodShare has published a manual, The Good Food Box Guide, for people who are thinking about starting a program in their own community. Find or start a drop-off To find a drop-off near you or to get information about starting a drop-off at the location of your choice, contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************* Our history FoodShare was founded in 1985 by then Mayor of Toronto, Art Eggleton, and others concerned about the growth of hunger and food banks that had taken place in the wake of the recession of the early 1980's. FoodShare's original mandate was to co-ordinate emergency food services, and to collect and distribute food. The Hunger Hotline was established as a volunteer-run referral service for people seeking these services in their neighborhood. Another key part of FoodShare's mandate was to advocate for policies that would ensure adequate employment, and the income necessary to enable all people to meet their basic needs. In the late 1980's, FoodShare staff began to share the frustration of many that the problem of hunger was not diminishing. Income inequality and unemployment were, if anything, increasing. Food banks-originally intended as a stop-gap solution-appeared to be here to stay. We heard from food bank users that the food they received was often limited in quantity and quality, and rarely included fresh produce. A strong tradition against resorting to charity means that many feel ashamed when they are forced to use a food bank-even to the point of going hungry rather than doing so. Food bank organizers have always stated that food banks are not a sustainable response to hunger, and that they want to "put themselves out of business." So FoodShare began to explore self-help models like co-operative buying systems, collective kitchens and community gardens that would have the potential to address short-term issues of household hunger, while also providing longer-term benefits by building the capacity of individuals and communities. Our philosophy Over the years, we have broadened our focus to look at the entire food system-how food is produced, distributed and consumed. We see hunger as just one symptom of a food system that is geared to treating food primarily as a commodity. Most people believe that access to food is a basic human right, because, like air or water, it is fundamental to health and survival. But the question is how to make this right a reality. First, should food be subjected to the same rules of market distribution that govern, say, soap or toothpaste? We believe there is a role for not-for-profit food distribution mechanisms, of which the Good Food Box is one example. What we've come to realize is that the "what" and "how" of food access is also important. All of our projects are based on the premise that it's not just any food that we're talking about. We try to promote an awareness that fresh, whole foods are key to health, wellbeing and disease prevention, and to illustrate this principle through all our programs. How people get their food is also important. Food distribution systems that involve communities and help to create neighborhood leaders have a great potential to enhance individual and community empowerment, by leading people to feel that they have some control over this very basic part of their lives. Again, because of its material, cultural and social importance, food is special in its power to mobilize people to action. All our programs are based on this community building principle. FoodShare tries to take a multifaceted, innovative and long-term approach to hunger and food issues. This means that we're involved in diverse actions: grassroots program delivery, advocacy for social assistance reform, job creation and training, nutrition education, farmland preservation and campaigns for comprehensive food labeling are just a few examples of the areas we work in. Awards & recognition 1995 Good Food Box wins City of Toronto Neighbourlies Award 1996 FoodShare recognized for its "leadership and vision in working with communities to provide education and access to affordable, nutritious food" with the Elizabeth Chant Robertson Award, from the Toronto Home Economics Association and the Ontario Dietetic Association 1996 FoodShare Executive Director named one of "Toronto's Ten Best Organizers" by NOW Magazine 1998 FoodShare's Field to Table Manager, Mary Lou Morgan, awarded the Jane Jacobs Prize for community service 2000 Mary Lou Morgan is runner-up for the Ethics in Action Award 2000 FoodShare and partners at the May Robinson Seniors Building in Parkdale win Neighborlies Award for the "Garden of Eden" community garden 2000 The Toronto Community Gardening Network and the Focus on Food Youth Program win City of Toronto Millennium Stars Prizes in the Environment and Youth categories respectively How we're funded Approximately 30% of our funding comes from individual donors. Some of our donors contribute through a monthly pre-authorized chequing plan, others periodically by credit card or cheque. Over the years we've also had some amazing in-kind donations-- from recipe books to trucks and gardening equipment. Some people do what is known as "planned giving", that is leaving the organization a bequest in their will, or making donations to honour friends or relatives on special occasions. All of this support is absolutely vital to providing the core funding that keeps our programs going. In addition to the support provided by individual donors, FoodShare receives support from all levels of government: municipal, provincial and federal. This funding often comes in the form of project grants, targeted to specific initiatives. FoodShare's status as a United Way agency is an important source of funds, as are donations from foundations, unions, churches and corporations. Cost recovery in FoodShare programs Some of our programs generate revenues to help pay for themselves- for example, The Good Food Box, whose customers pay from $10 - $30 per box. Though the fee paid covers the cost of the food in the box, it does not cover the infrastructure necessary to run the program (trucking costs, photocopying etc.). We are constantly reducing our overheads by increasing efficiency, but we also believe that the project is worth the subsidies that are invested in it. Unlike a grocery store, the Good Food Box has more than one bottom line: the low income people who get fresh, healthy food delivered to areas where they might not normally have easy access; the opportunity that diverse volunteers have to get out, meet different people, contribute to their community and share a healthy lunch; the community building that takes place around a Good Food Box drop-off when neighbours get to know one another, share cooking tips or even have a potluck; the newsletter that offers nutrition and cooking tips, while keeping customers in touch with food issues- these are all spin-off benefits from the project that do not come out of profit-driven enterprises. As well, when one program gets going it can create the critical mass necessary to start up and support other programs (in the case of the Good Food Box, the Incubator Kitchen, Catering Company and urban agriculture projects have all been built by sharing some of the same the same infrastructure and staff. Other projects that have a cost recovery component are: Field to Table Catering, urban agriculture microenterprises and the Toronto Kitchen Incubator. Other FoodShare projects are pure community service- such as teaching how to make homemade baby food, supporting community gardens and kitchens and operating the FoodLink Hotline. Donations are key to ensuring that we can run these programs that help to increase access to healthy food while building community and self-reliance. [=========================================================================] (<*>) Quote of the Week (<*>) "The only possible alternative to being the oppressed or the oppressor is voluntary cooperation for the greatest good of all." --Enrico Maletesta """""""""" [ <*> <*> ] (. .) 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