Come gather with us!
Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC) together with our supporting partners, Nelson Community Food Centre, Mount Paul Community Food Centre and Lil'Wat First Nation are hosting a Regional Gathering for community food organizations that are based in British Columbia.
On February 27 and 28, 2024, we're looking forward to being together for two vibrant days of activities and conversation in K'emk'emeláy/Vancouver.
Activities include:
- Workshops, presentations and discussions on many themes and topics (get all the details in the Program below)
- Sessions on advocacy and mobilization with hands-on breakout sessions
- Lots of chance to connect, learn and share with others in your region
Our first day will be at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Robson Square Building. Our second day will start at UBC, and end with a fun, engaging afternoon at Granville Island, Performance Works
View the full program details in the Schedule below.
Event location
The majority of our activities at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Robson Square, 800 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC. The building is downtown, at the heart of Vancouver’s cultural and business districts (with the Vancouver Art Gallery within walking distance).
Who is this event for?
This Regional Gathering is primarily for CFCC's partners in BC, including Community Food Centres, Good Food Organization, and members of the Indigenous Network. We'll also be inviting some food- focused organizations based in British Columbia outside our network.
Why hold the Gatherings?
A Regional Gathering brings together the community food sector in a specific region. As a participant, you'll be able to gather with local peers for two days of connection, learn and share about your local context and communities, and together mobilize support for shared advocacy priorities.
During our time together, we’ll focus on four key areas:
- Advocacy: Engaging in more collective action around shared priorities
- Deeper connections: More downtime and opportunities for networking and learning with other organizations in a deeper way
- Regional priorities: Hearing from partners about local and regional priorities
- Reaching more partners: Decentralizing our in-person events to reach partners who may not be able to attend our larger Food Summit, and allow more participants from each organization to attend.
We’re excited to continue to roll out this new regional model with our partners, with similar gatherings planned for across the country over the coming years, while also returning to our national gathering, the Food Summit, in October 2024.
Above: Participants take a tour of The North Grove CFC farm in Dartmouth, during the Atlantic Gathering.
How much does it cost and what's included?
Participation in the Gathering is free of charge and includes breakfast and lunch on both days, and an evening meal on day 2 at our site visit. Transportation to the site visit will also be provided.
Outside of this, attendees are responsible for coordinating and funding their own accommodation, all other transportation, and other meals outside of the official programming.
Meals
It isn't a Gathering without tasty food! We’re pleased to offer participants breakfast and lunch on both days, and a shared evening feast on Day 2 only.
For Day 1, Tayybeh, an award-winning, all-women caterer will be delighting us with a Middle Eastern inspired breakfast and lunch menu.
On Day 2, Lazy Gourmet is going to dazzle us with a breakfast and lunch spread showcasing locally sourced ingredients and West Coast flavours.
Above: Delicious food at our Regional Gathering in Halifax.
Bursary for travel and accommodations✈️ (Closed)
A limited amount of bursaries were available for community food organizations to support transportation and accommodation needs. Bursary applications are now closed but if you have any questions contact Gathering@cfccanada.ca. To offer more equitable access to the event and foster diversity, we have prioritized applicants who fit one or more of these criteria:
- identifying as Indigenous, Black, and Racialized staff
- having significantly higher travel costs
- having limited professional development budgets.
Check out the Poem by Guyleigh Johnson. She wrote this about the Gathering in Halifax (scroll through the poem)
Program
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Registration Check in
Location: Lower Level (UBC, Robson Square)
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
The Gathering will begin with the beautiful sounds and rhythms from the Wildflower Women of Turtle Island Drum Group
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM
Transition to first sessions
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
1. Morning Sessions
Choose between six sessions
We’ll hear from Garden coordinators about how they cultivate 100s of pounds of food while also creating learning and leadership spaces for community members through effective practices.
This session will walk us through a set of guided reflections that will support us in shifting our food programming from emergency to emergence. What does belonging look like in our food banks?
In this session we’ll look at some of the local coalitions and partnerships that are sharing resources and expertise and bringing people together to create greater impact.
In this session we’ll look at the different ways people are building belonging when bringing people together to share recipes, break bread and feast together.
Join our storytelling workshop tailored for organizations seeking to captivate audiences and bring their impactful work to life. (Note: Session repeats in the afternoon)
Whether you're a seasoned fundraiser with years of experience, new to the field, this session will be highly valuable. (Note: Session repeats in the afternoon)
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
Tayybeh, an award-winning, all-women caterer will be delighting us with a Middle Eastern inspired breakfast and lunch menu.
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
2. Afternoon Sessions
Choose between six sessions
In this workshop, explore the power of our interconnected lands rooted in the rich cultural heritage of British Columbia's Indigenous communities.
What does a sense of belonging look like when we’re creating community markets? We’ll hear how partners are bringing dignity, connection and identity to their markets. Then we’ll brainstorm ways we can each build belonging into our own programs.
In this session we’ll look at the steps being taken by organizations who are increasing access to foods that nourish the body and honour traditions.
When it comes to Community Kitchens, the more cooks at the counter the better. In this session we’ll look at ways that partners have created collective cooking programs that honour the skills and stories that their communities are bringing to the table.
In order for your programs and services to have the most impact they need to be informed by the community members who use them.
How can we communicate the balance between responding to the need for emergency food, and the need to shift towards long-term solutions.
2:30 PM - 2:50 PM
2:30 PM - 2:50 PM
Snack break & transition to next sessions
2:50 PM - 4:20 PM
2:50 PM - 4:20 PM
3. Late Afternoon Sessions
Choose between six sessions
Lettuce dig into the soil and farming world at culturally specific farms and garden programs. How are Black, and multicultural garden/farming programs engaging community members on the land?
Food Banks and other food access programs can play a vital role in supporting local food systems and ensuring access to healthy, fresh food.
Offering beautiful, warm and welcoming spaces for food programming says volumes about respect for the importance of the work and for the people using the space.
Join us in this session as we learn from partners who have thoughtfully designed spaces and programming that bring all ages together, from babies to elders, and the people in between.
This storytelling workshop is tailored for organizations seeking to captivate audiences and bring their impactful work to life. (Note: Session repeats in the morning)
Whether you're a seasoned fundraiser with years of experience, new to the field, this session will be highly valuable. (Note: Session repeats in the morning)
4:20 PM - 4:30 PM
4:20 PM - 4:30 PM
Transition back to Theatre for Closing
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
We have an exciting start to the day, kicking off with a conversation with Chef Paul Natrall (Mr. Bannock).
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Break, transition to next session
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Come hear about everyday people joining forces to build powerful coalitions that take on big problems — and win!
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lazy Gourmet is going to dazzle us with a breakfast and lunch spread showcasing locally sourced ingredients and West Coast flavours.
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
CFCC and Gordon Neighbourhood House are launching a regional network in BC that fights to reduce poverty - the root cause of food insecurity.
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
🚌🚇🚲🚵🏽♀️ Location: 1218 Cartwright St, Granville Island, Vancouver, V6H 3R8
3:00 PM - 5:15 PM