Our Vision - Eden Food for Change · 2017-04-21 · Our Mission Eden Food for Change is committed to increasing access to good food in a dignified manner, developing food skills to

Members of EdenUnited Church startedan informal food bank.

The program continuously grows,with more people needing foodand more people donating.

Our HistoryIt all began when a few members of EdenUnited Church noticed that there were hungryfamilies in the church and surrounding neigh-bourhood. In response they started an informalfood bank. Since then Eden has continued toevolve and change to respond to the needs ofthe community it serves.

Our VisionGood Food for All!

About Eden Food For Change

The food bank becomes an officialchurch program.

1989 1990 2002 2005

This volunteer-run programis incorporated, becoming anofficially registered charityand its own organization.The food bank serves L5N andL5M postal codes.

The first paid employee, a part-timemanager, is hired. A second part-timeemployee joins at the end of the year.

Due to the overwhelmingneed and donations, volunteers wonder if they should just close the program.

Timeline

Our MissionEden Food for Change is committed to increasing access to good food in a dignified manner, developing food skills to encourage healthy eating and empowering the community through education, outreach and advocacy.

We continue to adapt to meet the needs of our community. Moving away from the traditional foodbank model of food collection and distribution, we have adopted a community food centre model.Our goal is to better respond to the needs of hungry families by taking a more relational, long-termand sustainable approach.

This change encompasses our desire to:• help provide good food for hungry people,

• be a place for our entire community to access nutritious food and food skills, and

• to provide opportunities to learn more about healthy eating.

Serving all of western Mississauga, Eden Food for Change is committed to working to provideGOOD FOOD FOR ALL!

2007 2010 2011 2012 2014 20152009

The name is officiallychanged to EdenCommunity Food Bank.

The first Executive Director ishired to help increase the scopeand supporter engagement.

Meadowvale Neighbours’Cafe begins at the Battleford client centre.

The second location openson Unity Drive to serve residentsin the L5L and L5K postal codes.

Fresh Produce Box program begins.

The name is changedto Eden Food forChange to better reflectthe mission and approachto meeting the needs of thecommunity.

Eden officially becomes aGood Food Organizationin alliance with CommunityFood Centers Canada.

The Learning Kitchen initiative begins to take shape.

The Learning Kitchen is officiallylaunched, providing cooking coursesfor food bank participants and theopportunity for volunteer groups tohelp prepare nutritious food for foodbank distribution.

2013

3

donated to otherorganizations

34,666 lbspurchased

419,360 lbs55,757 lbs

40%

Households had a netincome of less than

$200/month

6%

13+ Visits

7%

12 Visits

18%

8-11 Visits

23%

4-7 Visits

46%

3 Visits or Less

1,080

Children

81

Seniors

78

Infants

1,373

Adults

Number of visitsin percentage.

Food Bank

households servednew families

In 2015…902423

13,316

2,543 unique individualsserved

individual visitsto the Food Bank

given throughthe Food Bank

}

4Eden Food for Change

Eden Food for Change! Last year we officially changed our nameto better reflect all the internal changes that have been happeningin our organization over the past few years. These changes meantgrowth, better service and stronger support from our community.

In 2015 when we served more than 400 families a month, 40% ofwhat they went home with was fresh food. Our Food Bank memberscontinue to receive advocacy support and a sense of communityas well as access to other community service organizations.

Our Learning Kitchen saw 215 participants gain nutritional education and cooking skills so they can prepare healthier meals athome, even with a limited budget. We also hosted 53 corporate& community groups who prepared, cooked and portioned12,093 servings of food for our Food Bank members.

In our Fresh Produce Box program, we opened five new pick-upsites to better serve the community and ensure that affordable,fresh fruits and vegetables are more accessible for more people.On average we saw around 400 boxes sold every single week!

This was also the first year for our Farmers’ Market which providedpeople in northwest Mississauga better access to locally grown food.

Through all of these programs we are serving thousands of peoplebut at the end of the day we want every individual to know thatthey are important. Recently, someone wrote to us saying “I walkedthrough the doors with so much fear and anxiety and returnedhome feeling reassured that I could put those feelings to rest.”

That is why we are here – to help people who are hungry put someof those fears and anxiety to rest – and to do it with compassionand dignity.

Bill CrawfordExecutive Director

Executive Director’s Message

GOOD FOOD FORALL!

Individual &group volunteers

Volunteers Help Us Grow

Community Engagement

54 presentations about our work

1,200 peoplereceived a tour

80 Newly sproutedregular volunteers in 2015

175 Regular volunteers in 2015

6Eden Food for Change

Learning Kitchen

The Learning Kitchen Works to Serve the Needsof the Eden Community……by providing the opportunity to people fromall walks of life the ability to improve their practical healthy cooking skills.

Our kitchen provides cooking courses for FoodBank members, employment training, and mealproduction. We also share our commercialkitchen with local organizations.

Food Bank Cooking CoursesThe kitchen gives the practical cooking skills andnutritional education that will help Food Bankparticipants provide for themselves tomorrow.

Our kitchen provides multi-week classes for pastand present Food Bank members as well as forother community groups that work with peoplewho are often marginalized. Classes teachkitchen skills, food preparation and provide theopportunity to learn how to make tasty, nutritiousmeals on a limited budget.

Groups in the Kitchen:The kitchen provides cooking classes which helppeople learn some basic kitchen and foodpreparation skills. Corporate and communitygroups are able to participate in one-time cookingclasses for groups looking to volunteer. Groupsprovide a financial donation for food thenspend approximately four hours in the kitchencooking meals, creating portions and then

packaging them for distribution through ourFood Bank. One afternoon can often produce200-300 portions of healthy prepared food!

This is a great team-building event where youcan have fun helping people and improve yourkitchen skills. For more information, check outour groups page.

Employment TrainingIn the summer, Eden Food for Change works withlocal organizations to provide healthy nutritiouslunches to children from low-income neighbour-hoods. During this time, our kitchen providessummer employment to people to help providethese meals while also giving them the skills andexperience to confidently apply for positions inthe food service industry.

495 individualsparticipated in our Groups in the Kitchen

12,039 portionswere provided to our Food Bank

215 participants took our cooking course

I was delightfully surprised at theamount of new knowledge I gainedin only eight weeks… I learned

about eating the right types of foodat the right time to optimize the besthealth results... I now feel capable

from start to finish.

“”

403

403

407

401

Dunda

s St. W

.

Erin Mills Pkwy.

Winston Churchill Blvd.

Britan

nia Rd

. W

QEW

Fresh Produce Box

4 Caroline Street

Pick-up: 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm

3570 Colonial Drive

Pick-up: 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

6945 MeadowvaleTown Centre Circle

Pick-up: 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm

2225 Erin Mills Parkway –Sheridan Centre

Pick-up: 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

2-3185 Unity Drive

Pick-up: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

3535 South Common Court

Pick-up: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm

17,017 Fresh ProduceBoxes in 2015

1,418per month*

370 per week*{ ]

22,000 lbs of produce to the Food BankDonated more than

NEW

NEW

NEWNEW

NEW

N

* based on 46 weeks of service

We LOVE this service. It has greatly improved the healthof our meals and snacks for our kids and helped usbudget our groceries better.“ ”

a self-sustaining program

8Eden Food for Change

Farmers’ Market

2015 Eden Events

In the summer of 2015, Eden Food for Changeofficially launched the Farmers’ Market of Eden.This exciting new venture invited local residents toaccess locally grown and produced food at theLisgar GO Station on Sundays from 9:00 am –3:00 pm.

Even though this was a new market, both thepublic and the farmers enjoyed the experience.

Teresa’s Garden Center is really lookingforward to another fun and excitingmarket season at the Eden Food ForChange market. Aside from having anideal time and location, the marketbrings out many friendly local communitymembers, is run very efficiently, andsupports a wonderful cause. We wereglad to have taken a chance on tryinga new market and we will be back!

– Teresa

Eden Food for Change hopes to support thelocal growing economy with this new program.We know that a strong farming community willensure that healthy fresh food is more accessiblefor our entire community.

GOOD FOOD FOR ALL!

“

”

25th Anniversary Concert – Saturday, May 9th

• Exclusive for Food Bank members

• 250 attendees

• Local performers included a comedy sketchtroupe, magician and multiple musicians.

Riders Against Hunger – Saturday, August 15th

• 100 bikes

• 125 participants

• 30 corporate sponsors

• $32,296 raised

A Taste of Eden – Friday, October 23rd

• 4 course fundraising dinner

• Live music provided by Time Trip

• Fun gaming tables

• Silent auction

• 225 attendees

• 8 corporate sponsors

• $43,793 Raised

Hunger Awareness Breakfast• 75 attendees

• 4 Food Bank member speakers

• Kicking off a campaign that saw more than50 local activities raise $19,078 and22,012 lbs of food.

9 Eden Food for Change

2015 Financials

Major Food SupportersTop 10 Biggest Food Donors

Whole Foods Market

Costco

J. E. Russell

McKesson Pharma

Food for Life

Loblaws – GLEN ERIN (bakery)

Gambles

Unilever

Loblaws – Financial Drive

Smucker Foods of Canada

Top 10 Biggest Food Drives

Bank of Montreal

Rotary Club of Mississauga

Erin Centre Middle School

Ruth Thompson Middle School

Knights of Columbus

John Fraser Secondary School

TC Media

The Meeting House

Churchill Meadows Public School

Credit Mills Kids

* Audited Financial Statements can be found online.

10Eden Food for Change

Major Financial Supporters

Green Apple Donors($100,000+)

Gold Apple Donors ($50,000 – $99,999)

Silver Apple Donors($25,000 – $49,999)

Bronze Apple Donors($10,000 – $24,999)

Yellow Apple Donors ($1,000 – $2,499)

Copper Apple Donors($5,000 – $9,999)

Red Apple Donors ($2,500 – $4,999)

An agency of the Government of OntarioUn organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario

Mississauga Milk Fund

ADM – Agri-Industries Company

CCI Thermal Technologies Inc.

Elevation Church

Investors Group

Mantralogix

McCormick

Mississauga Meadowvale Lions Club

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School

Sir Joseph Flavelle Foundation

Tim Hortons

Tree of Life Canada

Trinity Anglican Church

Worlée International Inc.

Genworth Financial Canada

Kothari Group

Mattel

Meadowvale Islamic Center

Mondeléz Canada

RBC Foundation

Richards-Wilcox Canada

The City Church

The Portico

Univera Serve First

Abbott Canada –Diagnostics Division

BMO Bank of Montreal

Canadian Property Stars

Deepa Kumar Medicine Professional Corporation

DIS – Dealer Information Systems

Dominion In Christ International Ministries

Dufferin-Peel Catholic DistrictSchool Board – Trustees

Edwards Lifesciences

Gusgo Transport Ltd.

Iona Catholic Secondary School

John Fraser Secondary School

Knights of Columbus Our Lady ofPeace Council 8668

Lions Club of Streetsville

LoyaltyOne Inc.

Mazon Canada

MeadowBrook Construction

Meadowvale Community ChristianReformed Church

Medtronic Canada

Mississauga Central Lions Club

Patheon Inc.

River Grove Seniors Friendship Club

Roche Canada

Rotary Club of Streetsville

St. Joan of Arc Secondary School

Stackpole International

Streetsville Baptist Church

The Auto Spa

Triovest

Vision Transportation Inc.

Vista Heights Public School

Thank you to all our 2015 donors!

11 Eden Food for Change

Staff Members

Board of Directors

Bill Crawford, Executive Director

Donna Behmer, Food Bank Manager

Peter Costello, Director of Operations, The Learning Kitchen

Christina Philips, Community Engagement Coordinator

Maureen Sawicki, Office Manager

Chris Szypulewski, Operations Supervisor

Janet Watson, Volunteer Coordinator

Cisco Armstrong (May – September), Fresh Produce Box Coordinator

Eddie Colacchio (September – December), Fresh Produce Box Coordinator

Ron Saito, President

Bob Sjolin, Vice-President

Tim Scott, Treasurer

Celia Rutherford, Secretary (May – December)

Beth Barnes

Michelle Martin

Andrew Mitchell

Trivéa Isaacs

Esther O'Toole (May – December)

Pravir Patel

Vennela Vijay (November – December)

Eddie Colacchio (May – August)

Marc Speir (May – December)

Ben Ferrie (January – August)

Naz Zarifian (January – May)

Gaynor Feltmate (January – May)

Lisa Last (January – March)

Maria Glidden (January – February)

&

12Eden Food for Change

Your RoleWhen you make a financial donation to Eden Foodfor Change, you are helping us provide more food, better food and nutritional education and cooking skills.

Food donations help people for today. Financial donations helpprovide long-term support and solutions.

$25 will:• provide eggs for 20 of the 400 families we serve each month.

• make it possible to purchase milk for 12 families.

• help provide all the food a family of four needs to make healthy meals at home for a week.

• provide soup for all the participants at one Food Bank shift.

• pay the way for one participant to attend one cooking class.

• cover the cost for one family night, food & sort or other community engagement activity.

$25/month will:• cover the Food Bank’s milk purchase for two weeks ensuring that our families, especially

those with children, will receive much-needed milk along with their food at their next visit.o 24 $25/month donors will provide milk to all for a year!

• supply the food ingredients needed for the Learning Kitchen to prepare 600 individualmeals for distribution to our Food Bank members.

• cover the cost of 1.5 participants to learn how to cook healthy meals in a cooking coursein our Learning Kitchen.o 8 $25/month donors covers the cost of one course.

Donationcu

t out

cut o

ut

Thank you for taking a bite out of hunger!

cut outcut out

Yes, I would like to support Eden Food for Change!*Name:

*Address:

*City: *Postal Code:

Phone: Date:

Email:

I want to make a one-time gift of:

q $25 q $50 q $100 q Other $

I would like to become a part of the Friends of Food for Change monthly giving program(I authorize Eden Food for Change to deduct the following amount from my credit card onthe 15th of each month. I have written my credit card information below:

q $10 q $25 q $50 q $100 q Other $

Method of Paymentq Cheque q Cash q Visa q Mastercard

Card #: Expiry Date:

Signature:

q Check here only if you wish to remain anonymous & not receive updates from Eden Foodfor Change.

Make cheque payable to Eden Food for Change. Please drop off or mail your donationto our office address on Unity Drive.

* Required for Tax Receipt

All donations of $25 or more will be acknowledged and tax receipts will be issued at the end of the year.

Eden food For Change is a registered charitable organization.

Charitable Registration No: 86440 7259 RR0001

Privacy Covenant: EdenFFC will not sell, rent or give away your email address or personal information without your prior consent.

Want to donate online?You can also choose to give a one-time gift or become Friends of Food for Change, a monthlydonor online. Go to edenffc.org and click on the “Donate” button at the top of the page.

2-3185 Unity DriveMississauga, ON L5L 4L5

[email protected]

&

Requested to send you an e-Tax Receipt

@EdenFood4Change

/EdenFoodForChange

14Eden Food for Change

Finding an Oasis

Like many who walk through a food bank’sdoors, Sheila’s need for this kind of help wasunexpected. In fact, Sheila states that “Fiveyears ago, you would have described me assomeone who had her act together – in fact,someone who lived a pretty remarkable life.”

This was a woman who was well recognizedfor her career in international development,served on community boards and even madesuccessful pitches to the Canadian government.But as many people who use the Food Bank atEden will tell you, ‘stuff happens’.

Sheila’s husband was diagnosed with a seriousmental illness, one that caused him to commit actsthat cost him his job and landed him jail in a highprofile manner. Sheila’s own job was lost becauseher association with her husband was deemedtoo risky to the reputation of her employer.

While her husband was in jail, Sheila was unemployed while trying to care for the couple’sseven-year-old daughter – while dealing with thefeeling of shame and the reality of no income.EI and savings were quickly diminished, andthe jobs that Sheila could access were ones thatwould require international traveling or movingoverseas, which wasn’t an option for a womanwho was caring for a child by herself.

“Poverty is exhausting, stressful and isolating.You are constantly making impossible decisions– when there is not enough money to keep thehydro on AND the water on – what do you do?I was always trying to figure out how to keepmy chin above water – and most of the time itdidn’t work.”

During this time, the social worker assigned toSheila’s husband, came to visit and asked thepractical questions about bills and food. It wasthis same woman that suggested Sheila visit theFood Bank at Eden.

“It took another month – and both an emptyfridge and an empty bank account, before Iwas able to summon the courage to go,” Sheilashares. “I was treated and seen as a person.Somehow Eden manages to acknowledge theirclient’s humanity and that is a phenomenal gift.I DID feel extraordinary shame, but that hadnothing to do with the Food Bank staff. It hadonly to do with me. Food banks were for thosewho had failed in life, or people whom life hadfailed…It had always been my job to care forthem – I couldn’t possibly be a client. But I was.”

The Food Bank at Eden allowed Sheila to putfood on the table for her and her daughter.Amongst a series of struggles, it did “ensurethat my daughter was never hungry. It did allowme to turn the furnace on the in winter and itdid offer a safe place to come where I could betransparent and respected.”

Like the majority of people who use the FoodBank at Eden, Sheila’s circumstances changed.Her husband came home and was able to findemployment. She found a job that started aspart-time and is now at full-time. And once shewas able, Sheila’s relationship with Eden changedfrom someone who came to use the Food Bank,to one who volunteered serving others there. “I’mstill more fragile than I was and far less sure ofmyself,” Sheila reveals. “But, I’m also kinderand more compassionate, thanks in part to theoasis I was able to visit and use every month.“

Poverty is exhausting,stressful and isolating.

You are constantly makingimpossible decisions

“”

Email: [email protected]

@EdenFood4Change

/EdenFoodForChange

edenffc.org

Unity LocationFood Bank, Learning Kitchen,Warehouse & Office:2-3185 Unity DriveMississauga, ON L5L 4L5

Battleford LocationFood Bank:3051 Battleford RoadMississauga, ON

Eden Food for Change is a registered charitable organization.

Charitable Registration No: 86440 7259 RR0001

Design donated by Freeman Communications freemancomm.com

thinkoutsidethecan.org