COVID-19 Puts LUSH Valley’s 20th Anniversary Celebrations on Hold
In January 2020, Comox Valley-based LUSH Valley Food Action Society commenced its 20th Anniversary year. “We started envisioning a summer celebration,” recalls LUSH Valley’s Executive Director, Maurita Prato. “Then, COVID-19 hit and those plans were put on hold.”
In mid- March, emergency discussions of the newly-formed Comox Valley Food Policy Council began. The group, currently coordinated by Prato, collaborated with LUSH Valley staff to create a new ‘Emergency Food Share’ program. The team worked long hours to find space, set up processes, figure out what this emergency response would look like, and how they could finance it. For the first couple of weeks, LUSH responded by fundraising and purchasing grocery store gift cards to provide some temporary food access for vulnerable families and individuals.
“We were humbled by the outpouring of support – and the overwhelming need – in our community,” states Prato. “Individuals, businesses and service clubs immediately stepped up to offer financial support. The City of Courtenay and the Comox Valley Regional District both came to our aid with the donation of space to run new Hot Meal and Good Food Box programs. People were coming forward to volunteer to help. Businesses, farmers and restaurants that were forced to close due to COVID-19 contacted us to donate food, which we distributed to the Comox Valley Food Bank and other agencies. It was amazing!”
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LUSH Valley is now working closely with more than 25 local social service agencies and partners, such as: School District 71, the Coalition to End Homelessness, CV Transition Society, Eureka Support Society, the Head Injury Society, BC Housing, Indigenous Education, Better-at-Home, CV Seniors Support Society, CV Affordable Housing, Wachiay Friendship Centre, and CV Community Health Network, to name a few. The Good Food Box program is also helping School District 71 families affected by the sudden closure of schools. In addition to providing funding for the program, SD71 staff stepped up to help prepare boxes in the warehouse, and Student First provided buses and drivers for deliveries.
“It became clear that our biggest asset in mobilizing quickly and providing quality programs to meet our community’s needs, were the relationships we had developed with our partners prior to the emergency,” adds Prato.
On April 1 (no fooling!), LUSH Valley’s first Hot Meals were ready for distribution through its social service agency partners. By mid-July, more than 10,000 hot (and some frozen) meals were distributed to more than 500 unique individuals.
On April 8, the Good Food Box program was launched. This ‘healthy food hamper’ provides those in need with a week’s supply of vegetables, fruits, eggs, cheese, canned goods and grains. So far, over 600 households have received Good Food Boxes, with more than 4,000 being delivered in a dignified (and contactless) manner to those in need.
“Community Food Security is more than access to healthy food for individuals,” adds Prato, “we must support local farmers and food growers, in order to achieve this goal, which is more important now than ever. We support the region’s farmers and food producers by making an effort to have at least 35 percent of the produce in our Good Food Boxes locally grown or produced. As the growing season progresses, and more local produce becomes available, we hope to increase this percentage.
“While we may not be able to have a party to celebrate our 20th Anniversary,” concludes Prato, “LUSH Valley is proud to provide support to our community during these unprecedented times. We sincerely thank everyone who has helped us achieve this important milestone! We look forward to many more years of supporting the Comox Valley in gaining food-systems skills and knowledge to increase food security, self-sufficiency, and local food production across the region.”
Help Share the Harvest – Emergency Food Share Support
The community’s response to LUSH Valley’s need for emergency funding to support their Food Share program has been truly amazing, however, the need for this program is expected to continue for weeks (possibly months) to come. Without additional funding, the Hot Meal and Good Food Box programs may not be able to continue. Please consider supporting efforts to provide healthy local food to the most vulnerable people in our community by making a donation.
Questions about LUSH Valley? Email: admin@LUSHValley.org or call 250-331-0152.
NEED FOOD? (Comox Valley only.) Visit Lush Valley’s website or Call the Food Share Helpline - 250-207-HELP (4357).
LUSH Valley Pandemic Programing
Community Food Security in a Pandemic: The Podcast
Stay calm and grow food!
“Hi, this is Maurita Prato coming to you from the unceded traditional territory of the K’òmoks First Nation. Welcome to Food Security in a Pandemic: The Podcast – stay calm and grow food. Our goal for this podcast is to leave you, the listener, more informed, inspired and empowered to take action. That includes growing food or raising your voice to strengthen our local food economy, community food security and food sovereignty - for the good of the whole.”
Each episode will feature a combination of segments on awareness, inspiration and empowerment.
Special thanks to the podcast production team: Jean Sarrazin, Rob Crowston and Alivia Veenstra. Rob and Aliva are from Wachiay Friendship Center, and also host this show at http://www.wachiaymultimedia.com/lush-valley
Listen in at LUSHValley.org/podcast/
Grow Food Everywhere – Gardener support during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Brought to you by Lush Valley, in partnership with the Comox Valley Food Policy Council, the goal of this program is to organize the local community at the grassroots level to ensure vulnerable community members have access to the resources and information they need to grow their own food and medicine at home. It includes an interactive Facebook Group and online gardening workshops. For gardening advice and inspiration, search for ‘Grow Food Everywhere Comox Valley’ on Facebook.
Watch for LUSH Valley’s Kids’ Food, Farm & Forage Summer Camps in August.
Get cooking online and love local food
With LUSH Valley’s usual Healthy Foods Program workshop locations closed during the pandemic, they managed to cook-up a new way to deliver their popular programs. Cooking classes for adults and youth are now being offered online. Classes focused on canning, food preservation, fermentation and more will be offered again soon.
LUSH Valley also has two new Facebook groups to help inspire people of all ages to love local food! Join the conversations! Search Facebook for the ‘Comox Valley Young Cooks Club’ and ‘Get Cooking Comox Valley’group and get connected.
Learn more at LUSHValley.org/events
Green ‘thumbs up!’ to LUSH Valley Volunteers!
From the early years, when the organization was supported entirely by volunteers, to the present, volunteers have always been at the core of LUSH Valley’s operations. In 2020, during the COVID Pandemic, volunteers have been essential to the successful launch of the new Food Share program. Whether answering the Food Share Helpline, sorting groceries in the warehouse, helping cook hot meals, or delivering Good Food Boxes, volunteers have been instrumental in LUSH Valley’s ability to respond to community need during these unprecedented times.
And, a pandemic doesn’t stop gardens from growing and trees from producing fruit! As the growing season progresses, LUSH volunteers will also mobilize to help share the harvest, as they have done for the past 20 years!
Want to join the volunteer team? LUSHValley.org/join-us/
