LaFF Lines Spring 2023

Focus on food growing, by necessity

Expanded emphasis on food equity part of a unity effort

Food and nutrition have always had a prominent role in Ladysmith Family and Friends activities and programming.

But the emphasis became even more important when facing the challenges of the last few years, first with the Covid-19 pandemic restricting opportunities for people to gather and share food, and more recently with rapidly rising inflation driving up grocery prices. In response, LaFF staff and volunteers found new ways to get food out to families as a way to stay connected, and changed and grew the organization’s focus on food access and food equity.

Whether it was delivering bags of fresh produce and packaged goods (often with a suggested recipe) or hosting a drive- through pickup during the depths of the

pandemic, or now that in-person programs have returned, providing educational opportunities for participants on canning processes and recipes, and how to stretch what you have on hand or what’s on sale at the grocery store, there is now an even more focused effort to ensure Ladysmith is better-equipped to face today’s food challenges.

Far more than offering recipes or food packages, LaFF is literally teaching people how to prepare food, both preserving it for future consumption and cooking fresh meals, in the commercial kitchen at Aggie Hall.

“We do a lot of cooking and preparing – preserving or freezing – so food can be given out when a need is recognized for a specific family, or just when the time is right,” says Jacqueline Neligan, executive director, adding that LaFF’s goal is to create a cookbook or resource calendar, a project to highlight both what LaFF is doing and how people can do things for themselves.

The expanded emphasis isn’t occurring in isolation – it’s closely aligned with the Town of Ladysmith’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, which was approved by Town council last year and resulted in the creation of a Food Equity Committee, of which Neligan is a member. Through February and March, the committee organized a series of free public information presen- tations on Understanding Food Equity, with a meal provided, film screenings, and opportunities for community discussion on solutions for increasing access to local, healthy food in Ladysmith and area.

That emphasis on local solutions is exactly what’s driving LaFF’s expanded efforts.

“Food has always been a big piece of LaFF – it’s such an important part of gath- ering together, connecting and engaging,” says Neligan. “But now we’re trying to have a more wraparound approach that continues addressing the needs. We’re definitely not trying to duplicate other ser- vices that provide food. What we’re doing is an additional avenue and option in the community.”

Through continued generous donations of food and funding, LaFF’s food pantry has grown considerably over the years, from what at one time was a small box of canned goods to what is now a well-stocked inventory of healthy options.

There is also additional attention on tending vegetable gardens, both at the main community garden on High Street and at outdoor space at Aggie Hall.

With the additional effort to address food equity, LaFF is hoping to add a food facilitator position, as the consider- able added workload is currently beingshouldered by existing staff and volunteers.

Achieving that goal of course will be dependent upon finances, however, and LaFF is always open to both private and corporate donations, whether one-time or ongoing, to support both existing and new programs and initiatives.

LaFFternoons an option for new parents

For parents or caregivers with newborns and babies up to one year, or families who are expecting a baby, LaFF offers a special weekly opportuntiy to connect with others who are at the same stage.

LaFFternoons offers a quiet way to introduce parents and cargeivers to LaFF programming, with the same access to features like the food pantry and clothing exchange, which benefits from the Health Care Auxiliary donating a variety of infant to age 3 clothing, of which there is always an abundance.

Just as important is the chance to meet and socialize with other parents and adults, and share healthy snacks.

The LaFFternoon program runs Wednes- days starting at 12:15 p.m.

LaFF hosted Ladysmith Early Years Partnership’s Healthy Start to Learn- ing at Aggie Hall Feb. 15, bringing roughly two dozen resource providers together in one place for parents and caregivers to showcase what’s available for families in the Ladysmith and surrounding communities. In addition to a variety of activities, participants also got to enjoy a fresh pizza lunch provided by the Ladysmith Lions Club.