Vision
The Nourish Project uses a collaborative approach to grow access to healthy, locally-produced food, food literacy, and food advocacy. Through innovative programs and strong partnerships, we create spaces where people feel that they belong.
Mission
To develop a dynamic local network of places for food dedicated to community, health and fairness. We strive to raise the profile and importance of food in our lives, our cultures and our economy by:
- Supporting the development of places for food in the City, in each Township and within both First Nations communities; and
- Delivering programming which focuses on:
- access to healthy food
- food literacy
- advocacy and civic engagement
Guiding Principles
The Nourish Project adheres to a set of guiding principles that informs all the work we do. These principles are:
THE POWER OF FOOD: We believe that good food has the power to enhance our communities, build our economy, and transform our everyday lives. Using food as a vehicle for community and economic development, we prioritize access to healthy, delicious food in everything that we do.
EMPOWERMENT: Throughout our programs, we believe that developing community capacity for leadership is a critical indicator of success. To nurture home-grown leadership, we provide a broad spectrum of training opportunities, from food literacy workshops that teach people how to cook, grow and preserve their own food, to peer advocacy training that supports community members in becoming more active and engaged in decisions and processes that affect their lives.
JUSTICE & FAIRNESS: We believe that access to healthy food is a fundamental human right. Yet we also recognize the existence of multiple barriers that undermine universal access to healthy food. We work to challenge and overcome these barriers by offering community-based programs that promote access to food in ways that are dignified and respectful.
STRONG COMMUNITIES: We believe that strong, healthy, and resilient communities develop when people have access to resources and opportunities to build networks of mutual support. A desire to enhance connectivity between individuals, neighbourhoods, and organizations informs every aspect of our work.
THE POWER OF OUR COLLECTIVE STRENGTHS: We believe that maintaining strong relationships and working in partnership are vital to our success. By leveraging the unique skills, talents, and abilities that exist across our region, we increase the quality, sustainability, and overall impact of the programs in the communities we serve.
