Food security in Northumberland is something the Community Health Centres of Northumberland (CHCN) has always prioritized since opening its doors back in 2009. Over the past year, in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, we knew our clients would need support with access to food more than ever. It was time to pivot, brainstorm, and hit the ground running, and that is exactly what we did.
Within the first few days of the province wide shutdown back in March 2021, our Health Promoter Pam MacDougall was on the phone calling local organizations and clients to see how we could help support our most vulnerable populations. By the following week, we had arranged to deliver a weekly hot meal to Transition House as they set up a satellite site at CCI High School in Cobourg. Food boxes were made available to our clients and community members by arranging drive thru pickups or deliveries. These boxes not only provided some staples to support client’s food needs, but also included fresh produce and proteins thanks to some great partnerships with local businesses and farmers. Homemade soups, baked goods, and a weekly meal were going into the boxes to provide both wholesome nutrition and comfort. Looking at the amount of food that has gone out the door in the past year is remarkable.
Year to Date Stats During COVID
| Soups Made | 2058 |
| Prepared Meals Made | 3073 |
| Meals made for Shelter | 1200 |
| Food Boxes | 2766 |
| Baked Items | 3383 |
| Deliveries | 1278 |
| Food Cupboard Client Interactions | 7301 |
The work that has gone into expanding our services and meeting the needs of our clients has been a total team effort, both within the CHCN, and within the community. Our ability to keep food going out the door would not have been possible without the passion, willingness and dedication of our CHCN staff, especially the members of the dental team, our medical secretaries and our housekeeper Rosemary. Our community partners have gone above and beyond in showing their support of our food programs, and we sincerely thank all of them, including the Food For All Warehouse, Food Basics Port Hope, Ferguson Farms and Osland Farms.
Lastly, without the financial support we have received over the past year, many of these success stories would not have been possible. A huge thanks to Community Food Centres of Canada for their support through the Good Food Access Fund, United Way Northumberland, Government of Canada, Canadian Red Cross, United Way Centraide Canada, Community Foundations of Canada and the Durham Community Foundation for their support through the Covid-19 Emergency Community Support Fund, Food Banks Canada, Feed Ontario, Northumberland County and all of the donations we have received from the community.
As we wait patiently for things to return to “normal”, we know there is still a lot of work to be done in supporting our client’s food needs, but if this year has shown anything, we are up for the challenge.
