Sources Community Resources Society is to receive nearly $192,000 in provincial funding for its food security program.
In a news release issued Thursday by the Ministry of Social Development, Sources Resource Centre executive director Denise Darrell noted that the money will be used to support the Sources Food Hub.
The Hub project provides education and training on food processing and reducing food waste.
The program does this by redistributing recovered and harvested foods to community agencies based in Surrey, according to the Sources website.
The grant from the province will allow the project to expand to include a culinary program for youth.
“With these funds, we will be able to take the first step to mitigate food insecurity in our community,” Darrell said.
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“While we continue our work to rescue and redirect food that would otherwise go to waste, we will integrate a culinary training program to provide skills training and create job opportunities for people who have significant barriers to educational and employment opportunities,” Darrell said.
According to the release, the project, in partnership with Dan’s Legacy, will provide Surrey, White Rock, Burnaby and Langley with food-based employment and skills training for youth aging out of foster care, Indigenous youth, women survivors of gendered-based violence and new Canadians.
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More than 500,000 British Columbians experience some level of household food insecurity, the release notes.
“Food security is an important part of a healthy, vibrant and inclusive community – and part of that is education, awareness and skills training,” said Gary Begg, MLA for Surrey-Guildford, in the release.
With a grant of $191,976, the integrated Food Hub and job-skills program is one of the first five projects – collectively receiving a total of $665,695 – to be funded.
The money is to be provided through the Victoria Foundation’s new Food Security – Provincial Initiatives fund.
