TORONTO, Jan. 18, 2022 /CNW/ - Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC) is proud to announce the launch of Carrefour Solidaire Community Food Centre—the second of its kind in the province of Quebec.
Carrefour Solidaire CFC joins 13 other Community Food Centres across the country that bring people together to grow, cook, share, and advocate for good food for all. These centres offer community food programs that increase access to nourishing food, build skills and foster connection. Community Food Centres Canada provides funding to support core operations and programming at each centre.
Carrefour Solidaire CFC is located in the Montreal neighbourhood of Centre-Sud, where one in every three households is low-income and finding affordable food nearby is challenging.
"From the beginning, we have been inspired by the values and the model put forward by Community Food Centres Canada," said Marie-Claude Morin Ouellet, General Co-director at Carrefour Solidaire CFC. "Promoting dignity, working at different levels to improve food security, and above all, bringing folks together around food to create a broader sense of community: these things are embedded in the DNA of Carrefour Solidaire CFC. We are proud to ally ourselves with Community Food Centres Canada to amplify our voices and generate even more impact through our common work."
Carrefour Solidaire CFC was first established in 1988 and brings together two local community food organizations who have pooled their resources to better support the Centre-Sud neighbourhood.
The organization has become known for their innovative community programs, from an affordable produce market at Frontenac metro station to an "edible street" in the heart of the Ste.-Marie district—the largest edible street in Canada. They also coordinate Carte Proximité, a unique regional food stamps project for local food.
In becoming a Community Food Centre, Carrefour Solidaire CFC is opening a welcoming new space that will house programming such as community meals, cooking classes, and a new grocery store.
"We've seen Carrefour Solidaire CFC work as a leader in their community for many years," said Kathryn Scharf, Chief Program Officer at Community Food Centres Canada. "The organization takes an innovative, community-building approach to programs that improve access to good food while building health and a sense of connection. We are delighted to have them join the Community Food Centre movement and get the benefit of their passion, creativity, and experience."
About Carrefour Solidaire Community Food Centre
Carrefour Solidaire Community Food Centre strives to promote the food autonomy of the residents of the Centre-Sud neighbourhood, centering our work around shared values of social inclusion, well-being, popular education, healthy eating, and the power to act. Our vision is to build a nourishing Centre-Sud neighbourhood where all community members have access to local, ecological food in solidarity with each other. Our activities are divided along three main axes:
- Improving access to fresh and local food through a solidarity market and grocery store, collective kitchens, and more;
- Developing the skills and autonomy of community members both in the kitchen and in the garden; and
- Mobilizing our community around social, environmental and political food issues.
About Community Food Centres Canada
At the heart of Community Food Centres Canada's work is the belief that communities thrive when everyone has access to good food. CFCC is a national movement of 300+ organizations working to address the root causes of food insecurity. With our partners, we advocate for policy change, share knowledge and resources, and build vibrant Community Food Centres that strengthen belonging. Learn more at: cfccanada.ca
SOURCE Community Food Centres Canada
Media contacts: Vanessa Girard Tremblay, Carrefour Solidaire Community Food Centre, 438-874-4232, [email protected]; Marie-Claude Morin Ouellet, Carrefour Solidaire Community Food Centre, 514-554-0750, [email protected]; Kennedy Sherwood, Community Food Centres Canada, 519-496-3743, [email protected]
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