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Food Sector Responses to COVID-19
– Supporting Improved Efficiencies and Longer-Term Outcomes –
CSED Final Report
August 2020
Intro Note From OCF
September 2020
Dear colleagues:
Thanks to Michael Murr at CSED for leading this research and reporting work, and to the many of you
who contributed via interviews.
As a bit of context-setting, the report was primarily to help us (the Ottawa Community Foundation) gain
some insights from your experiences during this very challenging and weird time, that might help us
better support emergent opportunities for systems improvements and relationship strengthening.
It's clear and it’s also entirely understandable that there is exhaustion among service providers from the
first wave of CoVID; and there is the prospect if not likelihood of another round of acute emergency
conditions. So this may not be the time for significant systems-level engagement – for example, to
invest in developing a full-scale community food security strategy (the first identified area of
opportunity in the report).
But we can continue to build on some key insights that were boosted via the Phase 1 adaptations and
collaborations – related, for example, to “last-mile” delivery, volunteer management, role of the private
sector, etc. And the way we approach the further evolution of specific initiatives and improvements can
feed into the system transformations many of us think are possible.
Frameworks abound, but here is an attempt to identify the different levels of need and ambition that
reflect the work and conversations of this time:
(1) Continue to ensure adequate food and services to address ongoing critical food insecurity -- improve
quality, efficiency, sustainability of food and associated services
(2) Be prepared to ramp up quickly and efficiently to respond to increased needs during emergencies
(City of Ottawa Emergency Food Plan)
(3) Continue to evolve and implement approaches that build a broader suite of positive outcomes while
we address food insecurity (connecting food delivery with wellness checks, evolving towards a
community food centres approach, building pathways out of poverty via food, etc.)
(4) Link the work on food insecurity into the work of building a more robust, resilient food system for
Ottawa.
Looking forward to continuing this work with you, through Phase 2 of the HNTF Food Security and
Financial Subgroup, and through OCF’s future funding initiatives related to food security.
Rebecca Aird (she/elle)
Director, Strategic and Community Initiatives/Directrice, initiatives stratégiques et communautaires
Ottawa Community Foundation
75 Albert St., Suite 301, Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7
t 613.236.1616 x222 f 613.236.1621
w www.ocf-fco.ca e raird@ocf-fco.ca
@OttCommFdnBackground
In April 2020, the Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF) provided funding to Parkdale Food Centre and
the Centre for Social Enterprise Development (CSED) to support food sector responses to the COVID-19
pandemic. Specifically, CSED engaged with organizations that had received project funding through the
OCF’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund (RRF) to discuss the status of implementation and provide
additional support where possible. Information gathered, along with CSED’s engagement with other
initiatives and stakeholders, was used to identify opportunities to contribute to longer-term food
resilience through improved understanding of cross-organizational and cross-sectoral interests,
opportunities and assets, and to support associated relationship-building.
COVID-19 has further exacerbated household food insecurity, which primarily affects low income
residents in Ottawa's most vulnerable neighbourhoods. In Ottawa, 1 in 7 (13.9%) households report
being marginally to severely food insecure.1 Most at risk are low-income individuals and households who
cannot afford balanced meals, go hungry by eating less or skipping meals, or do not have access to the
variety or quantity of food they need due to lack of money. Adults and children living in food-insecure
households are more likely to have poorer diets, nutrition and physical health, and are more vulnerable
to a wide range of chronic conditions.
COVID-19 has demanded a whole-of-community response to food insecurity. Organizations across the
community services spectrum stepped up to meet the needs of food insecure households, often with
substantial pivots. At the same time, other organizations not normally in the food security space also
stepped in. While demonstrating the sector’s ability to react and respond to an unprecedented
situation, the experience has also provided lessons learned that can be used to strengthen Ottawa’s
collective response capability going forward.
This report discusses the primary actions undertaken during the project and identifies a number of areas
of opportunity that if actioned, can improve the food security system in Ottawa.
Project Approach
From May - July 2020, the following activities were undertaken by the project team2:
● Developed a framework to solicit and structure interview feedback using the dimensions of
affordability, accessibility and appropriateness
1
Ottawa Public Health, 2019 Nutritious Food Basket report
2
The project team consisted of Michael Murr, Manu Sharma and Abijit Potdar.2
● Interviewed 26 community organization representatives which received funding from the OCF
Rapid Response Fund to confirm the status of the projects, discuss challenges/opportunities and
discuss next steps3
● Participated in the City of Ottawa’s Human Needs Task Force Food Security Sub-Group meetings
● Coordinated and/or participated in specific activities arising from the Food Security Sub-Group
participation:
o discussion between Volunteer Ottawa and some members of the Food Security Sub-
Group on volunteer on-boarding and support
o development of a support pathways matrix for seniors at risk
o development of a volunteer coordinator job description for the Ottawa Community
Food Partnership
● Provided input into the development of an emergency food sector system survey conducted by
the City of Ottawa
● Conducted best practice research to identify and study other jurisdictions that are celebrated
for their food security responses.
Perspectives of Rapid Response Fund Recipients
Some key perspectives that were shared by multiple interviewees include the following:
● There was universal appreciation for the support provided by the OCF’s Rapid Response Fund.
Several recipients noted that the funding provided by the OCF created a legitimacy for their
project which in turn made it easier for them to secure other donor support.
● There is a need for a unified food security strategy, especially for emergency situations, that
allows the community to be better prepared for situations like COVID-19.
● A central coordinating function, whether in the form of an individual organization or a coalition
of agencies, is required that allows for a better understanding and charting of i) governance; ii)
need; and iii) resource allocation.
● It is important to think beyond simply meeting immediate household emergency food needs, to
include broader issues impacting food security and food system planning.
● There should be an easier and more meaningful way to capture and share best practices.
● More community investment is required in the development of food storage, preparation and
distribution infrastructure.
● More space is needed for growth and expansion of current local programming that has the
potential to become city wide.
● Micro-funding best practices like the RRF should be further developed and institutionalized. The
RRF was widely acknowledged for its nimbleness and the role it played to get resources to
recipients quickly.
● Mechanisms for established food insecurity programs to continue uninterrupted in situations
like COVID-19 are needed. An example given more than once was of the ONFE School Breakfast
Program.
● There is a need to build organizational capacity – e.g. through business strategy training – to
plan, design, resource and ensure the sustainability of new approaches and initiatives.
3
See Appendix 1 for a list of the organizations and individuals contacted.
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
● Not all pop-up initiatives are intended to be operated for the long term; many were set up
simply in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Thematic Areas of Opportunity
Based on the interviews and other input, the following themes emerged as important
opportunities to improve local food security capacity and response:
Strategy
Assessment Recommendation
There have been numerous initiatives over the Develop a community food security strategy to
years to build strategic consensus on how to provide a framework for coordinated multi-
better address food insecurity specifically, and disciplinary, multi-sectoral effort towards
how to strengthen the local food system more a healthier and more food secure Ottawa.
generally (including the capacity to address
food insecurity). These have built shared A formal strategy should look at both the food
understanding and led to some valuable system as a whole (i.e. encompassing the full cycle
specific actions and outcomes. But a broad and of how food is grown, produced, processed,
broadly supported food security strategy has distributed, consumed and disposed of) and
proven elusive.4 specifically at how household food insecurity is
addressed.
The lack of a food security strategy was
mentioned by many people as a key The strategy should also be used to shift Ottawa’s
impediment to improved coordination and food security lens from one of food charity to one
action. This has resulted in a range of issues which focuses on dignity, agency and community.
that are described elsewhere in this document.
A range of stakeholders should include growers and
A growing number of municipal and regional producers, community service agencies (e.g. food
governments across Canada are using a food banks/cupboards, food hubs, community
systems approach to improve health, generate health/resource centres), governmental
economic development, address environmental organizations and businesses.
sustainability, and engage communities.
An appropriate governance structure should
emerge as a key outcome of the strategy to oversee
its coordination, implementation and monitoring.
The strategy could also address other thematic
areas identified below.
4
Some examples include the early 2019 initiative Towards an Ottawa Food Strategy, supported by Ottawa Public
Health and facilitated by Synapcity; the 2016 Multi-stakeholder Forum on Food Systems and Food Security hosted
by the Ottawa Community Foundation; , and the 2012 Ottawa Food Action Plan arising from the Food for All
process led by Just Food and the University of Ottawa.
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
Governance
Assessment Recommendation
While there is a collection of food security Create a formal governance structure to implement
stakeholder “tables” that support coordination the Strategy by maintaining and building on the
among subsets of organizations (e.g. Ottawa relationships between diverse sectors and actors;
Community Food Partnership, there is no to identify on an ongoing basis relevant
overarching governance structure in place to opportunities, assets and actions; to assist in
support effective, efficient, coordinated and identifying and accessing resources for
progressive actions, such as those that would implementation; and to contribute to effective
be identified through the Strategy. evaluation and feedback.
Some of the coordinating groups include The connections to the City of Ottawa and Ottawa
entities such as the Coalition of Community Public Health are critical, but the exact role of both
Health and Resource Centres (CHRC) the newer would need to be determined (i.e. the governing
Day Program Coalition, as well as the recent body could be embedded in either organization, co-
Human Needs Task Force Food Security Sub- led by either, or the organizations could be
group. participants).
Communications
Assessment Recommendation
There are a variety of communication platforms Create a central communications hub for the sector
being used in the sector including: to share information on client response pathways,
● Good Food Ottawa (goodfoodottawa.ca), a current programming, best practices, emerging
one-stop shop for finding food in Ottawa needs and unique opportunities.
● Coalition of Community Health and
Resource Centres (coalitionottawa.ca), A shared communications platform would ensure
offering information for both the public and that information flow between organizations is high
members and support greater coordination within the sector.
● HNTF Food Security Sub-group dropbox
(members only) The communications hub could leverage an existing
site, but wherever housed, sustained funding or
The range of sites and available information revenues would be essential.
makes it difficult for organizations to be aware
of each other's programming, emerging
initiatives, as well as having access to
information and key resources more generally.
Sharing of Available and Needed Resources
Assessment Recommendation
The response to COVID-19 has demonstrated Create a shared inventory of available and needed
that there is currently no easy way to identify resources to facilitate awareness and connections.
the resources that CSOs (Community Service Community service organizations would have a go-
Organizations) may have surplus or need (e.g. to place where they could self identify
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
freezers, delivery vehicles, drivers, volunteers, required/needed resources in real time.
etc.). The FSSG’s initial pulse survey gathered
information on needs and wants, but it became The inventory could be built into a central
dated quickly and there was no easy way of communications hub - see Communications
matchmaking beyond making the information
available to the CSOs.
This can result in the underutilization of
resources (i.e. when something sits idle) or the
unnecessary purchasing of resources.
Client Intake/Database Systems
Assessment Recommendation
There are several different client Create a centralized database that would enable
intake/database systems being used currently. each CSO to enter core information into a common
For example, the Ottawa Food Bank uses the repository while preserving their ability to maintain
Link2Feed inventory system to allocate program-specific information and respect privacy.
resources to its partner agencies. The database would support city-wide analysis and
reporting.
Typically, each CSO handles their own client
intake, with differing datasets and collection
procedures. This makes it difficult to
consolidate information and coordinate local
response.
Role clarity and better coordination would
streamline data gathering, avoid duplication
and serve as the basis for improved decision
making.
Volunteer Management & Training
Assessment Recommendation
Volunteer Ottawa (VO) is the hub for volunteer Explore the volunteer recruitment, on-boarding and
resources in the city, providing a range of training continuum to see if there are services or
programs and services to connect volunteers activities currently being provided by individual
with community needs. Community service CSOs that could be performed by Volunteer Ottawa
organizations use VO’s services to a varying more efficiently.
degree. Awareness of VO services varies within
the sector. This could leverage VO’s significant strengths in the
space to ensure on-going and fluid access to
Individual service organizations must still volunteers without over-burdening the current
ensure police record checks, ensure their volunteer pool or individual service organizations.
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
volunteers are familiar with specific program
protocols, and provide COVID-19 health and
safety training. This can be resource intensive.
OCF’s RRF has provided funding to support a
volunteer coordinator position through the
Ottawa Community Food Partnership.
Volunteer respite, especially with the fatigue
being experienced by the most committed
volunteers, is a critical challenge for most CSO’s
that depend heavily on their volunteer
resources.
Funding Support
Assessment Recommendation
Given that interviewees consisted of Continue to make timely, responsive and
organizations that had received grants from administratively light funding programs available,
OCF’s Rapid Response Fund (RRF), most of the but add additional funding criteria that spell out the
comments received on this topic related expectations around collaboration and financial
specifically to that Fund. Resourcing is of course efficiency and effectiveness.
a significant and ongoing issue beyond the
specific emergency circumstances created by Requiring greater financial and social impact
COVID-19, and needs to be given priority information would help to ensure that the projects
attention in the Strategy. But the following being funded are aligned with/do not duplicate
insights can feed into the larger discussion. existing services and are financially effective.
Rapid Response Fund recipients were very
appreciative of the Ottawa Community
Foundation’s ability to make funding available
quickly and to create a streamlined application
process that kept the effort to apply to a
minimum.
In an effort to flow funds expeditiously to
emergency needs during the peak early crisis
period, the RRF did not specifically require
applicants to identify if partnerships had been
explored or identify the financial efficiency of
the service being proposed (i.e. $/person or
$/unit).
This resulted in some instances where the
funded projects duplicated existing services or
were not aligned with other service providers.
More generally (i.e., beyond the COVID-19-
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
related funding), some interviewees noted that
funding is more readily available for capital
purchases, whereas it is often difficult to cover
operational costs.
Last Mile Delivery
Assessment Recommendation
Last mile delivery, which refers to the point at Develop a framework for better role definition and
which food support is provided to clients coordination to optimize access, avoid duplication,
(whether at the doorstep or at a community and leverage the opportunity to better understand
facility), is often the responsibility of the and meet other needs.
community service organization. Local CSOs are
in the best position to nurture a long-term
relationship with the client and have the best
knowledge of other available community
support and services.
When last mile delivery is carried out by other
organizations it can potentially result in
duplication, less efficiency and a lost
opportunity to have a 360-view of the client’s
needs.
Pop-up Initiatives and Pivots
Assessment Recommendation
While pop-up initiatives have played an Develop a framework for pop-up initiatives which
important role in the community’s response to encourages innovation and rapid response while
COVID-19, some have been implemented in a ensuring that the newly created services coordinate
way that does not coordinate effectively with as much as possible with existing programs.
other existing initiatives. For example,
recipients at a particular City Family Shelter, This outcome could be achieved by having a robust
with limited food storage/refrigeration communications platform in place where existing
capabilities, sometimes received prepared service organizations and other organizations that
meals from different entities at the same time, are not normally active in the sector could go to see
as well as food from the Ottawa Food Bank. what others are doing (see Communications).
Funders could also require applicants to provide
It is important to understand the relevance, information on how their initiative complements
role and integration with established other existing initiatives (see Funding Support).
organizations.
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
Shared Food Storage, Preparation and Distribution Infrastructure
Assessment Recommendation
There is a defined interest in the exploration of Explore the creation of a central shared food hub,
coordinated food storage, preparation and or a network of pre-identified facilities, for flexible
distribution mechanisms (e.g. can food be and responsive food preparation and distribution.
prepared and delivered in moments of crisis
through managed supervised use facilities).
Role of For-profit Food Businesses
Assessment Recommendation
There is an under-engagement of local for- Develop a defined mechanism for local for-profit
profit businesses (restaurants, caterers and businesses, especially in the hospitality industry, to
transportation companies etc.) in our partner and contribute.
community response to food insecurity.
Better engagement and integration of local
businesses would be a win-win as it would
provide the community with needed capacity
while giving businesses social relevance and an
ability to generate some revenue.
An example of a successful collaboration is the
Ottawa Community Food Partnership and
Parkdale Food Centre’s Cooking for a Cause
initiative, which partners with local restaurants
to make freshly prepared meals for those most
in need.
Spectrum of Food Choices
Assessment Recommendation
COVID-19 has reinforced the importance of Develop a coordinated strategy that leverages the
having a variety of food choices available to existing production and distribution capabilities in
meet a wide range of needs. This includes food the sector.
hampers, prepared meals and vouchers/
grocery cards. The range of food choices should also seek to move
people from food dependency and food charity to
Significant capacity/ability exists in the food dignity.
community to meet the demand, but it is not
always coordinated.
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
Appendix 1 - Individuals Contacted during the Project
Name Title Organization RRF
Recipient
Erica Braunovan Coordinator - Cooking for Ottawa Community Food Yes
Cause Partnership, Parkdale FC
Leigh Couture Executive Director Pinecrest-Queensway CHC Yes
Andrew Craig Executive Chef & Volunteer Operation Ramzieh Yes
Ilon Tyan Organizer
Sylvain de Margerie Founder Food for Thought Cafe Yes
Abhishekh Dhawan Abbeyfield Yes
Robin Duetta Fundraising & Community Carefor Health & Community Yes
Development Services
Louise Ebeltoft Manager of Operations and Carty House Yes
Refugee Services
Marie Eveline Executive Director Volunteer Ottawa Yes
Michel Gervais Executive Director Vanier Community Service Yes
Centre
Moe Garahan Executive Director Just Food Yes
Meseret HaileYesus Executive Director Canadian Centre for Women
Empowerment
Carolyn Hunter Director, Ottawa School Ottawa Network for Education
Breakfast Program
Emily Jones Joanisse Co-founder & CEO Connected Canadians Yes5
Armand Kayolo Executive Director Moisson Outaouais
Deborah Lehmann Executive Director Parent Resource Centre Yes
Keri Lewis Executive Director Interval house Yes
Ian Li Founder (Food ordering app AnJel (anjel.ca)
for seniors)
Omer Livvarcin Founder Vectors Group
5
Connected Canadians received a RRF grant for a non-food related activity.
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
Online Food Bank
Donna Lyons Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Yes
Health
Cameron MacLeod Executive Director Carlington CHC Yes
Gwen Madiba Program Coordinator Meals for Hope Yes
Michael Maidment Executive Director Ottawa Food Bank
Jalil Marhnouj President AMA Community Centre Yes
Marilyn Matheson Executive Director Caldwell Family Centre Yes
Chair Day Program Coalition
Kelly Mertl Director, Community Initiatives United Way Ottawa
Marisa Moher Youturn Yes
Wendy Muckle Ottawa Inner City Health Yes
Sandra Pedersen Harmony House Yes
Marie Pyper Executive Director ONYX Community Services
Kia Rainbow Parent Resource Yes
Scott Richardson Co-Founder Northbound Ventures (USA)
PhD student (Population Harvard University, T.H. Chan
Health Sciences - Nutrition) School of Public Health
Bonnie Schroeder Program Director, Age Friendly Council on Aging Yes6
Ottawa
Karen Secord Executive Director Parkdale Food Centre Yes
Francine Somerville COVID-19 Human Needs Task City of Ottawa
Force
Community & Social Services
Shannon Szkurhan Team Lead - Good Food Box, Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Yes
Good Food On The Move Resource Centre
Peggy Tailon Bruyere Yes
Krystal Taylor Supervisor, Healthy Eating and Ottawa Public Health
Active Living Team
6
Age Friendly Ottawa received a RRF grant for non-food related activity.
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
Laura Thomas Manager, Diverse Seniors JWS Ottawa Yes
Support
Kelli Tonner Executive Director South East Ottawa CHC Yes
Beth Tooley Coordinator Coalition of Community Houses Yes
Yacouba Traore Executive Director Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Yes
Resource Centre
Chair Coalition of Community Health &
Resource Centres of Ottawa
Dianne Urquhart Executive Director Social Planning Council of Yes7
Ottawa
Odette Uwambaye Executive Director Rwanda SSFC Yes
7
The Social Planning Council received a RRF grant for non-food related activity.
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
Appendix 2 – Some Best and Emerging Practice Examples
● Moisson Outaouais - The Moisson Outaouais (MO) is one of the 19 Food Bank Networks
affiliated with the Food Banks of Quebec (BAQ). BAQ has implemented some core initiatives
that are then successfully replicated within their network. Some of the initiatives include:
- Supermarket Recovery Program (Food Rescue) - MO collects food from 24 local grocery
stores, twice a week.
- Food Exchange (Food Donation program) - where suppliers (stores) or producers
(manufacturers) can donate their surplus or portion of their production, through an
online donation platform. The foods are then picked up by the local food bank agency.
- Central Kitchen - MO is one of the handful of network agencies that have built a central
kitchen, where some of the raw ingredients are converted into ready meals. Foods
collected from the recovery program or foods that are nearing its expiry dates, are
converted into ready-to-eat meals, packaged and frozen to increase their shelf life.
- Food Transformation - frozen meals prepared in the central kitchen is then distributed
through the 40 distribution centres within the MO network. These meals are currently
distributed under 4 pilot projects:
1. School Meals - schools with large percentage of students facing severe food
insecurity
2. Families in Need (matched with the school programs)
3. Mental Health Patients (identified by the hospital)
4. Indigenous Families living in remote areas
- Community Cafe - some of the food bank networks in urban locales (like Montreal) have
opened cafes, where some of the transformed food is sold to customers and the
revenue generated supports the food bank operations.
Similar Food Transformation initiatives can easily be adopted in Ottawa and the Ottawa Food
Bank as well as several coalition members have expressed interest in this. Many agencies have
also shared that a large Central Kitchen Facility with some community space is desperately
needed in the city. The Rideau Community HUB and Bronson Centre are two successful
examples of converting closed school buildings into community hubs for non profit orgs; and
both these facilities have commercial kitchens. There are over a dozen closed schools in the city,
and one of them could be converted into a Food HUB with a large Central Kitchen and program
space for Community Food programs.
● Coalition of Community Health & Resource Centres of Ottawa (CCHRC) - a coalition of 13 multi-
service agencies serving 13 wards in Ottawa. While the 13 agencies operate independently, the
coalition provides a platform to share resources and knowledge within the network and build
more equitable and efficient services. The coalition also shares resources and funding to design
city-wide programing which reduces duplication of services. The coalition website provides a
one-stop-shop for all the services offered across the city through these agencies. Some of the
programs started under the coalition are:
- Good Food Box - during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Good Food Box program pivoted
to a home delivery model, offering a week’s worth of fresh produce & fruits for a family
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
of 3, for $20. At its peak, the program was delivering 700-900 boxes each week. The
initiative was very well received from the community and offers a sustainable and
affordable solution to combat food insecurity.
- Market Mobile program
- Good Food On the Move (online platform to buy fresh produce)
- Good Food in your Neighborhood (hybrid model combines the Good Food Box with
Market Mobile)
- Social Harvest - microgreens grown in the greenhouse
● Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC) – offers an inclusive food ecosystem model, that
brings various Food and Health & Wellness programs under one roof, creating a one-stop-shop
for low income families. Currently there are 13 Community Food Centers across Canada, and 4
in Ontario – Hamilton, Stratford, Perth, and Toronto.
Through their Good Food Organizations program, CFCC supports organizations with capacity
building of their food programs. They provide support in form of resources, customized training,
grants, annual conference, networking, etc..
Currently six Ottawa-based agencies receive support from CFCC – Caldwell Family Center,
Gloucester Emergency Food Cupboard, Ottawa Good Food Steering Committee, Ottawa Good
Food Box (CRCRR), Parkdale Food Centre, and St. Joe’s Supper Table.
The Rideau-Rockcliffe CRC has replicated the CFCC model by successfully operating several food
initiatives under their poverty reduction/food insecurity initiatives – Good Food Box, Market
Mobile, Food Bank, Social Harvest, Food Passport, Community Meals, Hot Meals (COVID-19
response), and Community Kitchen. The first two are city-wide programs funded by the CCHRC,
whereas the others are focused on ward 13. Their Food Bank has shifted from a traditional ‘box
of food’ model to a more inclusive and dignified grocery store model, where clients can walk
through the isles of the food bank and select the items they want.
Parkdale Food Centre is also working with CFCC to start a low cost grocery store, with a pay-it-
forward and pay-what-you-can model. They also operate several other food-based programs,
including the Ottawa Community Food Partnership and Cooking for Cause, which are funded by
the Trillium Foundation.
● Cooking for Cause - responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has partnered with
local restaurants to prepare meals at a low cost ($6/meal), which are then delivered to low
income families at no cost. This initiative also supports local businesses hurting during the crisis.
Some of the local restaurants have now pledged to continue producing meals at their own
expense and providing them to low income families in future. Similar initiatives can help smaller
agencies with limited resources who cannot build a kitchen.
● Online Food Bank - this is a new initiative started by Vectors Group (a consulting firm focused
on NFP orgs). Through their online Food Bank Platform, food bank clients will have the ability to
select food items available through their food bank. They can either use their food bank credits
or purchase additional items using debit/credit cards. The collection point will be their
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
respective Food Bank. Vectors Group is working with local food banks to customize the website
for each agency and is encouraging the agency to allocate 10-20% of their food bank allocations
for online purchase. They are currently engaged with Rideau-Rockcliffe CRC on a pilot.
● AnJel - this is an app developed by an tech entrepreneur in Vancouver, geared towards serving
seniors, increasing accessibility to food. The app links several local stores, including enthnic
stores, and seniors (or their family members) can order groceries using the app. The actual
shopping and delivery is done by volunteers and community orgs. The pilot was successful in
Vancouver.
The Social Planning Council of Ottawa (SPCO) has partnered with this company and is trying to
pilot it in Ottawa. During the COVID-19 crisis, SPCO was supporting about 100 refugee families,
providing them with ethnic foods that are typically not available through the local food banks.
SPCO is looking to expand the initiative, post-COVID, using the app.
● Database - Link2Feed, Caring and Sharing Exchange (211) - the Ottawa Food Bank uses the
‘Link2Feed’ Inventory System to allocate resources to its partner agencies. Similarly, the Caring
and Sharing Exchange provides school supplies to students from low income families. Families
are referred to this agency through community agencies, who then register those families into a
central database. Families can call the Community Info Centre - Ottawa 211 to get connected to
local agencies.
Many of the agencies that are currently using these two systems vouch for the effectiveness of
the database systems and improved efficiency in offering services to clients. They would like to
see a similar database of low income families and match them with the food security programs
in their neighborhood.
● Day Programs (and Day Program Coalition) - these meal programs provide breakfast and lunch
programs to families in need within their community. Many of the agencies delivering this
program are multi service agencies offering other services, including food banks. Some of the
prominent agencies are Caldwell Family Centre, ODAWA Native Friendship Centre, Ottawa
Mission and Shepherds of Good Hope.
● Meal Kits
ONFE School Breakfast Program - this program offers daily breakfast (and some lunches) to
about 14,000 students, across 195 schools within the 4 school boards in Ottawa. Due to COVID-
19 closures, they pivoted their program to provide monthly meal kits to over 10,000 students in
the city.
Similar meal kits were assembled by Operation Ramzieh during the COVID-19 pandemic, and
distributed to families in need; these were well accepted and augmented the food bank
allocation.
Best Practices from across the Border (USA)
Food Security Report, Final, September 20202
● National School Meals program - the National School Breakfast Program (NSBF) and the
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are federally mandated and federally funded programs
across all public schools in the United States. Meals are offered at no cost to students from low
income families, whereas other students can purchase them at relatively low cost. Similar
national meals programs are offered in other developed countries, except Canada.
While advocacy for similar programs in Canada is strong across Canada, a social enterprise
model can provide an alternate model in the city. During the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations
like Operation Ramzieh, Food for Thought cafe, and similar pop-up initiatives have proved that
through public-private partnership, funds can be mobilized and meals can be prepared at a very
low cost. These meals could be offered in public school through a social enterprise model,
where low-income students could still have access to meals at no cost or minimal cost ($2/meal)
● Salvation Army Grocery Stores (DMG Foods - Do More Good) - has started low-cost grocery
stores in Baltimore, where low income families can purchase fresh produce and foods at a
significant discount, compared to a traditional grocery chain.
● Food Banks in the US - unlike the Canadian model, where low income families can access their
local food bank for a box of food intended to be an emergency supply of 3-5 days worth of food,
the food banks in the US do not have direct contact or interaction with the end user. Most Food
Banks act as warehouses that send food to agencies offering various Day programs or Meal
programs, through community centres and soup kitchens.
● DC Central Kitchen - is another super successful model, similar to CFCC, that operates and
supports various food-based initiatives across the City of Washington DC. Some of their
programs include:
- Culinary Job Training (FSTP program @ Ottawa Mission)
- Cafe and Catering services (Ottawa Mission, Causeway)
- Farm-to-School menus in DC public schools
- Healthy Corners where healthy & affordable foods are made available at corner stores
- Community meals for non-profits, youth programs and shelters (several agencies in
Ottawa)
Several community agencies in Ottawa offer similar or a blend of these services, but an
integrated model would bring efficiency and increase reach. The Coalition of CHRC initiatives
have proved the success of such models.
Food Security Report, Final, September 2020You can also read
