Taking Action
I’m riding in a bike-a-thon! Please pledge me!
Food & bikes together again. I’m helping raise money on the West End Food Co-op’s “Ride for Real Food.” Read on for a shameless plug to help me reach my fundraising target!
The West End Food Co-op: Riding on Real Food
The West End Food Co-op is hosting a bike-a-thon to raise money to build a new kitchen space to serve the Parkdale community. My article originally appeared on Dandyhorse Magazine’s blog.
West End Food Coop is getting closer to home
My neighbourhood is about to get a really awesome neighbour. The West End Food Coop aims to open a multi-faceted food hub in Parkdale by the end of the year that will house a grocery store and classroom. A real “think global act local” solution to food insecurity and globalization.
11 Ways to Change the Food System in 2011
There has been a lot of resolve going on in my life this week. The new year has a way of doing that to us doesn’t it? While I would say that ANY time is a good time to foster change in your life, I thought I’d borrow a page from local food advocacy group, Food Forward, who just published “11 Ways to Change the Food System in 2011″. Here is my take on the Food Forward “Top 11″ list.
Do the Math Challenge: Day 4 – Drop-in Meals & Work-for-Foods
Time to get creative! With a shrinking allotment of food left, I’ve started to get a bit more creative around meal time. While I’m not sure if this was within permissible activities for the week, I decided that volunteering in exchange for food was acceptable. Kind of like a drop-in meal program, but a bit more dignified. I total, I’ve attended two community drop-in meal programs and volunteered at two other places that gave me food. Here’s a rundown of how they all went.
Do the Math Challenge: Day 3 – Swapping Diets with a Friend
Since this week I’m decidedly spending less than my usual $50/wk on food, I decided to swap diets with a friend who has been on and off of social assistance for years. Here, he writes about how he will spend the money.
Do the Math Challenge: Eating to Thrive
Today I am thinking about how food helps us thrive, and how my privilege is preventing me from fully putting myself in the shoes of those who depend social assistance. My conclusion? Poverty is like a big pit – it’s easy to fall into but really hard to get out of. So if you’re going to try and climb out of it, you better eat a damn good breakfast!
Do the Math Challenge Day 1
While the Food Bank Diet will be hard for everyone participating, I find myself facing a unique set of obstacles given my food allergies. My heart goes out to the thousands who, like me, have a sensitive stomach, but have no choice but to eat food that makes them sicker.
Do the Math Challenge
This week I am joining people across Ontario to rally for an increase to social assistance rates so that people can meet their basic food needs. To raise awareness of this important issue, I am eating a “food bank diet” for up to 1 week. This is my first post in the series.
Social Change
I am pondering more deeply the notion of “social change,” and realizing it is less about what we do, and more about how we do it.
Bread & Puppet: Preposterous Political Theatre
Hidden away in the remote hills of Northern Vermont lives the semi-surreal world of Bread & Puppet… politically charge theater that will fuel your fire for revolution.
Protests as Activism for Social Change
Given all the conflicting coverage and the controversy and buzz around last weekend’s G20 events in Toronto, I feel compelled to put forward my perspective on the issue…and in particular, with whether protests are an effective means of advocating for ‘change’. Tens of thousands took to the streets in Toronto in protest of the G8/G20 [...]
Salad Club
As a kid I was constantly trying to bring people together through ‘clubs’. I think it was the Babysitters Club books that inspired me initially…but that desire to socially convene people has lived on, and generally in a less ‘members-only’ way. Nevertheless, whenever I hear about clubs, my ears perk up hearkening back to times [...]
Living Free, Plastic-Free
The month of May was largely characterized by a search for a new roommate to move into our eco-conscious house. As you might have guessed, we were looking for people who were specifically into the environment in a significant way. Tomislav (my housemate) and I carefully crafted a Craigslist ad that seemed more like a [...]
Armed with a Fork and Ready to Act!
Sorry, but I have to take a moment to just brag a little big about how lucky I am to have found my life’s passion (which, in case it wasn’t obvious, is food). Some people take over half their life to get to that place, while others may never actually encounter it. And I’m even [...]
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