2008 Summer Newsletter - South Riverdale Community Health Centre

955 Queen Street East
Toronto, ON M4M 3P3
Phone: (416) 461-1925
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.srchc.com
www.srchc.ca
Jumpstart Takes a “Harm Reduction”
Approach to Food
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Inside this issue:
JumpStart Takes a
“Harm Reduction
Approach to Food
1
Low Cost Fruits and
Vegetables
2
Food Share
2
Gardening
3
Fruits and Vegetables
3
News From the
4
New Faces-The
Board
4
What’s On SRCHC
Insert
Parents with young children want the
best start for their children. What better
way to begin than by eating well?
Parents participating in our JumpStart
programs come with an expectation of
learning about many things, including
healthy food. What they don’t expect is
to come out of the program thinking
about how their food is produced,
processed and distributed, and its
impact on the health of their families,
communities, and environment.
Jumpstart programming supports
families of young children. It covers
topics like nutrition, child
development, environmental health,
sexual health, and life skills. In the past
months, some of our programming has
taken a closer look at food and how it
travels through the food system from
farms to our forks.
The food system includes farming,
processing, distribution and
transportation; and food accessibility
in grocery stores and restaurants.
Social, political, economic, and natural
environments all influence the food
system. Through our programming we
have challenged women to consider
food beyond its nutritional value and to
explore the impact of the food system
in determining what foods are
accessible to their families.
Recognizing that sustainable and
alternative food options, such as
organic foods, are out of reach to
lower-income community members,
our programs aim to incorporate
strategies that reduce harms inflicted
by the food system.
We have been building awareness of
the global food crisis and its impacts
on food prices locally. We have also
explored ways to reduce pesticide
related harms of the food system by
washing and peeling high pesticide
foods, and by buying local produce
which are often lower priced when
in season. We also garden together,
and encourage women to take
ownership of their food system by
growing their own tomatoes, herbs
and beans.
The sessions were found to be fun,
informative and relevant to women
struggling to put food on their
tables. In the months ahead, we plan
to do more food education that
builds awareness of food issues and
enables women to be more active
citizens in fighting for change to the
food system.
Kate Kenny & Wanda Georgis
Health Promoters
Page 2
South Riverdale Community Health Centre
Summer 2008
Low Cost Fruits and Vegetables
How SRCHC is keeping you connected
Pick your
order up at
SRCHC every
second and
fourth
Wednesday
of the month
Healthy eating does not have to be
complicated or expensive. The Good
Food Box program operated by Food
Share and Ontario Farmers is a
convenient one-stop shop for fresh and
local produce at an affordable cost.
Boxes vary in size, selection and cost.
They also come with nutritional tips,
dietary information and recipe ideas on
how to prepare the contents from the
box.
Orders must be made at the front desk
of the centre with cash payment, one
week prior to pick-up. Pick-up is in the
main lobby of the centre every second
and fourth Wednesday of the month.
For more information on the program
or to make an order, please contact
Gigi at 416-461-1925 Ext. 348.
The Good Food Box:
The Large Good Food Box ($17) consists
of a family-sized selection of affordable
fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Small Good Food Box ($12) offers
similar selection of produce ideal for
singles, seniors or small families.
The Large Organic Box ($32) and Small
Organic Box ($22) provides certified and
seasonal fruits and vegetables.
The Fruit Box ($12) offers fruits that are
in season.
The Wellness Box ($12) provides a
week’s worth of pre-cut fruits and
vegetables perfect for seniors and
students.
Tina Szeto
Summer Student-Program Assistant
Food Share
Providing a diet high in nutrients and low in cost
The Food Share program chooses
Ontario-grown products for their
Good Food Boxes whenever possible.
Each box cost’s between $12-$32,
depending on the variety you choose.
Photo by: Christopher Dew
Food Share is able to keep the Good
Food Box at a reasonable price as all
their fruits and vegetables are
purchased directly from local farmers
and from the Ontario food terminal.
The Good Food Box stays affordable
through the dedication of their
volunteers and subsidized distribution
costs.
Participation in this program benefits
not only those living with a low
income, but it also, promotes access
to a nutritious diet, supports local
farmers, and reduces burning of fossil
fuels due to importing food.
As mounting evidence points
towards the benefits of eating a diet
high in fruits and vegetables, the
Food Share program makes this
possible for more community
members.
Sara Tryon
Program Assistant
South Riverdale Community Health Centre
Summer 2008
Page 3
Fruits and Vegetables Everyday
5 Quick Tips For Eating Fruits and Vegetables
1. Keep them where you can see them. On the counter, in the front of the fridge, and on your
desk at work.
2. Include some in every meal. Add fruit to your cereal, extra vegetables on your sandwich, try
a fruit parfait for dessert.
3. Pre cut/wash some of your fruits and vegetables for snacks and lunches.
4. Frozen vegetables are quick and easy. Keep some on hand for when you are out of fresh.
5. Try a new recipe which includes vegetables. It is a great chance to introduce new foods to
you family.
Sara Tryon
Program Assistant
Gardening
Compost is good for you. Here's how to make it grow!
1. Pick a good spot for your compost bin
Choose a flat surface with good water drainage
part shade, part sun about a foot away from any
walls or bushes.
2. Add equal amounts of green and brown
materials
3. Avoid Adding
Milk, cheese, yogurt, peanut butter or oil based
products. Fish, meat, bones, fats, barbeque
charcoal or coal ash. Diseased or insect infested
plants, weeds with mature seeds, treated wood,
animal or human waste.
4. Keep it damp – like a well-wrung sponge
Greens
Grass clippings – small amounts
Flowers and Plant trimmings
Newly fallen leaves
Fruit and vegetable peelings
Coffee, tea, fruit, or vegetable juice
Grain or pasta – no sauce or butter
Browns
Dried grass clippings
Dried leaves
Woodchips – small amounts
Dryer lint
Hardwood ash and sawdust
Straw
5. Add air
Every two or three weeks loosen the pile with a
pitch fork or broom handle.
6. Is it ready?
It should be dark brown
(not green, not light
brown) and smell like
earth. Shake it through
a screen to filter out any
chunks or wood chips.
Throw those back into
the compost, they’re
not ready yet.
7. Dig it in
Dig it into the soil in your garden, pile it around
trees, and sprinkle it over your grass or your
plants to help keep them moist.
Tory Bowman
DECNET Outreach Worker
NEWSLETTER—SUMMER, 2008
News from the Board
South Riverdale officially ended
the year with the Annual General
Meeting on June 25th.
The Honourable Jack Layton was
the guest speaker who opened the
evening. Jack highlighted the
importance of community
activism, where regular citizens
can make a difference by uniting
to raise awareness to policy and
lawmakers about issues that affect
the community.
strategy with the intent to
maximize returns. The
recommendations from the
committee were implemented and
today we see the real benefits of
the revised strategy. From 2006 to
2008, the balance of the fund
increased by 9%.
As a result of increased awareness
of the Grants for a Healthy
Community, which is funded by
the SPF, the board approved 3
grant requests in 2008, which is
A few highlights from the meeting: the maximum allowed at this time.
Special Purpose Fund
Strategic Directions
The Special Purpose Fund consists Strategic Directions are important
of funds that are internally
they act as statements of priority
restricted and represents non
for the centre as well as
Ministry of Health and Long Term commitment from the board on
Care. The fund was created in
what the centre will be doing over
1983 and is to be used to promote the next 3-5 years.
and build a healthier community.
A consultant, the board, staff,
In 2006, based on feedback from
management, and community
the membership, a committee was partners, put in 6 months of hard
created to examine the investment
955 Queen Street East
Toronto, ON M4M 3P3
Phone: (416) 461-1925
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.srchc.com
www.srchc.ca
work. Through a series of surveys,
and client interviews, information
was gathered about the changes in
the catchment’s neighborhoods.
All the feedback and data was
further compiled and common
themes were found. This research
resulted in the final directions that
were approved by the board in
May 2008.
1. Community Connections:
building diverse, healthy
neighbourhoods
2. Embracing & Influencing
Change: addressing community
health needs in a changing
environment
3. Leadership: leading the way to
healthy communities
We wish everyone a safe and
sunny summer and look forward to
an energetic start in September!
Alice Lee
Board Treasurer
Some New Faces to Look for - On the Board
Janine Luce
My background
includes almost 15
years experience
managing programs
in health and social
services for marginalized
populations. I have served as the
director of a HIV/AIDS prevention
program, and I have also managed
an adult education program at a
homeless shelter in downtown
Toronto. I am currently working
for the Centre of Addiction and
Mental Health as the Manager of
Public Policy.
Stanley Ing
I participated in the
Youth Advisory
Committee for
Planned
Parenthood’s project
the Toronto Teen survey. The
committee and project team have
given much of their time to help
youth all across the GTA. I hope I
can do the same while serving on
the Board of Directors. As well as
joining the board this fall, I am
looking forward to pursuing
studies at Ryerson University for
Occupational Health and Safety.
Mark Lachmann
I moved to Riverdale
in 2007 after living
and working for ten
years as a family
physician on
Hudson’s Bay and Baffin Island. I
am currently re-training in
psychiatry. Other education and
work experience include
Anthropology, Bioethics,
Geriatrics, and Logistical
Administration. I am a member of
the Association of Gay and
Lesbian Psychiatrists. Interests
include music, the outdoors and
Canadian art.