Healthy Food for All CONNECTING HALTON FRESH FOOD

Healthy Food for All CONNECTING HALTON FRESH FOOD BOX PROGRAM WITH SOCIETY OF SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL – GUIDE FOR CONFERENCES

Overview: Healthy Food for All • • Improved access to good quality local produce Food resources for people on limited incomes rarely include fresh fruits and vegetable Health indicators show that people are not eating the required daily quotient of fresh produce The food box is 50% better value than at the local grocery store Educational element to nutrition in the monthly newsletter with information on food and recipes Coordinated out of St Christopher’s Church in Burlington Packed and distributed on: • Second Tuesday and Fourth Wednesday: Oakville distributed out of Kerr Street Mission • Burlington Third Tuesday • Milton First Tuesday MARCH 2018 1

SSVP and HFFB Many Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Halton Conferences are already connected: Mary Mother of God – Families pick up at church, since 2005 St Matthew – Families pick up at church, since June 2015, started with 16 families St. Dominic/St. Andrew – delivery to families, since Spring 2016, started with 12 families Holy Rosary – connecting the families to other pick up sites, since 2017 St. John – connecting the families to other pick up sites, since 2000 St. Paul – connecting the families to other pick up sites, since 2017 St Michael – Families pick up at church, since February 2018 MARCH 2018 2

How SSVP members can benefit • Supplements home visits which are the core of our ministry • Additional interactions with the families take place • Opportunity to show hospitality • New volunteers can get involved immediately • Not all members go on home visits initially and this provides a monthly chance to meet the families. • Members of SSVP welcome the families to the church • Monthly opportunity for the volunteers to work together creating Vincentian bonds • Volunteer skills and interests can be utilized for the benefit of the families. • Opportunity to talk through resources face to face MARCH 2018 3

Benefits for SSVP Families • Fresh produce provided at no cost to the family every month • Families feel welcome at the church : nutritious snacks and a warm welcome • Resource information available and help to navigate through them is on hand • Kids are welcome and can play while mom visits • Families have a place to share their stories, concerns and problems. • Supplemental support to the home visits MARCH 2018 4

Funding • Small box costs $15 and a large box costs $20 • Families on Ontario Works have their box paid for by the region • Families not covered by the region are funded through the conferences fund raising strategy • Halton Particular Funding support available for start up. • Small additional increment to the food voucher/grocery card average monthly cost • Consider Food Box visual display on a table by the poor box collection to bring about awareness. • Pre-authorized debit fund raising can be tailored to garner monthly HFFB support. MARCH 2018 5

Church Hub - Informed Navigators • Inviting the families to the church creates the opportunity for an information ’hub’ allowing SSVP members to mature our roles as informed navigators. • Showcasing Themes by inviting experts • • • Town of Oakville Recreation assistance/Jumpstart Thomas Merton Centre for Continuing Education Dental hygienists from Canadian Academy for Dental Hygienists Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada Learning Bond • Resource table: Goodwill Job Centre, OESP, Tax clinics, OSAP, free local activities • Prayer Corner: set up as a separate quiet listening space • Recreation Corner: specific to activities camps and summer camps for kids • Event sign up (back pack event, Christmas drive, clothing drive flyer pick up) MARCH 2018 6

Gateway to the Society Packers Invite members of the congregation and our circle of friends to help pack the boxes of fresh produce once a month. See flyer in Addendum Drivers Sharing the commitment to drive the food truck once a month. See flyer in Addendum Students Summer food box days are excellent opportunities for students to help and receive volunteer hours. The need is greater as regular volunteer numbers are often down in the summer months. Advertising in the bulletin: See bulletin insert template in Addendum Concentric Circles can grow the SSVP groups. MARCH 2018 7

How to start Connect with HFFB Space and availability at church? No Yes Church Hub $ Delivery or Connecting Invite Volunteers Confirm funding and HPC funding support Select and Invite Families each month MARCH 2018 8

SSVP Members needed • Food Box Coordinator Team (2) : • One person orders the food boxes each month and arranges payment, • one person checks list on food box day and takes payment for paying customers • Church Hub approach: • • Sign in table (1) Snack Team (2): prepare and serve nutritious snacks for visiting families Welcome crew: (3) for 10 families, (6 for 20 to 50 families etc) Box management (2) unloading boxes to church and cleaning and stacking empties • Delivery approach: • Food box Coordinator and family liaison • Pick up team • Delivery team, MARCH 2018 9

Our Families • Boxes for those on Ontario Works are paid for by the region. Families bring proof each month • Be aware of barriers and work to find solutions : rides to food box for those without transportation • Reminders help and some will call to say they can’t make it. Create a plan to get the food to them, or agree to keep it at the church if possible until the following day/evening for pick up. • Have a plan to drop off food to some families in case of emergencies. MARCH 2018 10

Ordering Process Set up account with HFFB. Ordering takes place online. A conference portal is created in the online ordering site. Complete monthly ordering form Populate SSVP Tracking Spreadsheet Special order for those on Ontario Works (see next slide) SSVP pays a cheque a week ahead of food box day Any paying clients money is deposited. Families come in and names are ticked off the tracking spreadsheet MARCH 2018 11

Ontario works process Make OW recipients aware that they can get access to HFFB Their OW number (on monthly mailed white slip) and name is required for the order At SSVP new family assessment, this number can be acquired. Each drop site will set up its own ordering portal in the HFFB online ordering system OW recipients orders are individually added to the conference order using name and number OW recipients need to show proof they are still a recipient when receiving the food box Once OW families are in the order form in the account they don’t need to be added each time, only additions and deletions. Families referred by Halton Childrens Services are provided with a coupon which they hand in at pick up time. MARCH 2018 12

Food box day Warm Welcome is key! Reminders are helpful: Texting application Remind. com is effective, private and simple to use Room set up: Food box coordination table, packing stations, hospitality area, tables and chairs, box cleaning corner, children’s play table Today at Food box Sheet “a summary of what went on at food box today” for those who were unable to pick up the food ‘No-show’ compassionate plan: a mom who does not show up is likely in crisis. We call them. Ideally families bring their own grocery bags Children’s table in place with colouring/puzzles and games Snacks are healthy and nutritious Assistance carrying out to the car MARCH 2018 13

Information Hub themes Each month a new focus to refer the families to programs, opportunities and services. Examples include: Canada Learning Bond display and Champion on site Ontario Electricity Support program: forms available, laptop onsite, assistance to apply Big Brothers Big Sisters; display and representative available CYAN display and representative available Oakville Parent Child Centre: display and Thomas Merton School; representative available to talk to the moms about achieving their education goals • Credit/Budgeting workshop • Summer camp tri-fold and brochure/flyer library • • • MARCH 2018 14

Add-Ons Prayer corner Transportation coordinator to arrange rides to and from Food box Food Box Extras: monthly purchase of milk/eggs and cheese to supplement the produce Moving to two pick up sessions as volunteer capacity grows Easy crockpot recipes to make and taste to assist with using the produce effectively. MARCH 2018 15

In Summary • Healthy Food for all • Funding is not a barrier • Start small and grow steadily • Engage volunteers • Build relationships with the families • SSVP members become informed navigators to walk along side the families MARCH 2018 16