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Food security grants for two local organizations
More than $4 million is supporting 65 organizations in British Columbia, including two locally, to strengthen food security infrastructure that helps redistribute food to people who need additional support because of high costs.
The funding is part of the provincially funded $14-million Critical Food Infrastructure Fund, administered by United Way British Columbia over three years from 2023-26. In 2024, another $3.2 million of this fund was distributed to 43 community organizations.
From this fund the Kimberley Wellness Foundation is getting $100,000 to install a commercial ventilation and fire suppression system, along with two induction cooktops, enabling onsite meal production, eliminating offsite kitchen rentals and fostering social enterprise initiatives and community collaborations.
And the Shuswap Band near Invermere is getting $7,761 for training and equipment to test for Chronic Wasting Disease.
Grants from the fund are helping community organizations, including Indigenous organizations and First Nations, build, buy and improve warehouse storage space and equipment, buy refrigerated vehicles to transport food, and buy equipment to preserve and process food for extended shelf life. By increasing the capacity for storing, transporting and redistributing food locally, the grants help increase year-round availability of nourishing and culturally appropriate foods.
“We all want people to have access to nutritious food, so we’re taking action in a time of rising grocery prices,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “This is why, on top of hundreds of other projects, we’re funding critical infrastructure that helps people access fresh food in Nanaimo and throughout B.C.”
Food insecurity has increased because of inflation, supply-chain issues, and climate emergencies that interrupt food production and distribution. This investment addresses the challenges faced by communities, strengthening food security for everyone, a Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction media release stated.
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