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Food Security Fund

Food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to adequate amounts of nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate food to maintain a healthy and active life.

Objective of this fund

The objective of this fund is to support initiatives aiming to improve food security, especially for individuals or families in need, or people living on a low-income.

Eligible initiatives

The initiatives eligible for this funding must aim to improve physical and economic access to nutritious foods (i.e., improve availability or cost of food).

For example, eligible initiatives could include:

  • Harvesting, food preparation and service of traditional meals at traditional camp
  • Community harvesting activities (hunting, fishing, gathering of berries and plants)
  • Hunting services (e.g., for elders, single parents or low-income families) or Generous Hunters’ Program
  • Community kitchen, collective kitchen, soup kitchen, group purchasing or Community Food Center
  • Initiative to reuse food surplus and reduce food waste from a store or restaurant
  • Food sharing initiatives, including community freezers, refrigerators or food pantry
  • Collective or community gardens, community fruit trees and berry bushes
  • Solidarity store, co-op, local and affordable food market, seasonal market
  • Community butchering service
  • Vegetable and fruit discount program
  • Development of a food bank program
  • Meal programs or meals on wheels (e.g., for elders, people who are isolated or sick)
  • Collective grocery delivery service or transportation service to closest grocery store

 The following types of initiatives are not eligible:

  • Emergency food basket or food vouchers
  • Short-term projects (Christmas Baskets)
  • Special events (feasts, holiday meals, festivals, health promotion events)
  • Workshops, information sessions or cooking classes
  • Research projects.

 

 

Eligible organizations

  • Non-profit and community organizations
  • Co-operatives and social economy enterprises
  • Aboriginal organizations eligible for provincial funding (e.g., Cree Nation Band Councils)

Please note 
Citizen initiatives that meet the objectives may be funded through an eligible organization, that will act as trustee. The trustee will need to have been established by the applicant prior to sending the funding application.

The following organizations are not eligible: 
Unfortunately, schools, school board, childcare services, and health and social services are not eligible for this funding but could be important partners involved in the implementation of these initiatives.

 

Funding available

  • A total amount of $100,000 per year is available for Eeyou Istchee
  • The funds will be allocated to initiatives aiming to address social, cultural, physical and economic factors of food security
  • A maximum of $10,000 will be allocated per initiative.
  • An organization may receive funds for more than one initiative.

Admissible expenses

  • Fees directly related to the food security initiative (e.g., healthy foods, equipment, transportation, salary or honorarium, childcare service during activity, expenses to subsidize hunting/fishing activities)

Note: Fees that are not directly related to the food security initiative or spending incurred before the beginning of the initiative are not eligible.

Selection process/criteria

A committee will review submitted projects.

Priority will be given to initiatives that:

  • Aim to address social, cultural, environmental and economic factors of food security (e.g., initiatives aiming to make food affordable, easily accessible, culturally appropriate)
  • Have potential medium/long-term impacts (e.g., programs rather than one-time event)
  • Encourage social participation and inclusion (e.g., volunteering, creating work opportunities for people on social income or with disabilities, etc.)
  • Aim to reduce poverty and social exclusion (e.g., socially and culturally inclusive).
  • Aim to provide healthy foods (rather than unhealthy/processed foods)
  • Encourage environmentally-friendly practices (e.g., use of reusable dishes)
  • Encourage harvesting or use of local or traditional food

Applicants of the selected initiatives will be informed in the weeks following the end of the call for proposals.

Reporting

Selected applicants will need to provide a report at the end of the year

To apply

 

Deadline

The deadline to apply is February 28, 2024.

 

Our Partners

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Grand Council of the Crees logo
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Santé et des Services sociaux logo
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Health Canada logo