Provincial Government Partners with Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security to Improve Food Access for Families
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Education; Health and Community Services
December 11, 2023
The Provincial Government and the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security today announced that together they are providing $1.8 million to implement an innovative program to improve food access for vulnerable families in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Education, announced the initiative at the Brighter Futures Family Resource Centre located in East Point Elementary in St. John’s. Minister Howell was joined by the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services, Sarah Stern, Executive Director of the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security, and Serena Pomeroy of the Placentia and Area Family Resource Centre.
The Provincial Government will contribute $300,000 per year over the next three years to the initiative, which will be matched by the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security. The funding will directly support selected Family Resource Centres throughout the province to address food insecurity and improve health outcomes among families they work with.
Eligible families will be provided with support to access nutritious food such as grocery store gift cards, store credit where gift card capacity does not exist, or gift cards to non-profit food programs. The program begins in January 2024 and will be delivered by 16 Family Resource Centres in Newfoundland and Labrador. Expansion to further sites will be considered following an evaluation of the program.
The Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security works in collaboration with charitable organizations, the private sector, and governments on initiatives that offer structural solutions to improve food security. Newfoundland and Labrador has been identified by the Centre as a strategic partner given government’s commitment to strengthening the social determinants of health, including reducing poverty and food insecurity.
In November 2023, the Provincial Government announced a new Poverty Reduction Plan that focuses on improving the overall well-being of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. As part of that plan, along with the initiative announced today, the province is working to improve food security by prioritizing income-based initiatives, including support for families with children, by:
- Expanding the Prenatal-Infant Nutritional Supplement up to age five and renaming it the Prenatal-Early Childhood Nutrition Supplement to better reflect its expanded scope;
- Increasing the Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit by 300 per cent; and,
- Providing additional funding to ensure school food programs are available in all Pre-Kindergarten and K-9 schools.
Quotes:
“Addressing food insecurity collectively in our province will help families to access nutritious food. This program will support children to be better prepared to learn when they attend early learning programs or school. I thank the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security for partnering with us on this important issue as we support the well-being of children and families in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Education
“Our government recognizes the key role the social determinants of health, such as food security, play in overall health outcomes and the well-being of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Partnering with community stakeholders in initiatives like these, align with recommendations from Health Accord NL, and will help us achieve our goal of being one of the healthiest provinces in Canada by 2031.”
Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services
“Newfoundland and Labrador has shown vision and leadership by advancing a comprehensive approach to improving both health and food security. We look forward to growing our partnership and delivering on a shared goal of structurally reducing food insecurity.”
Michael McCain, Honorary Chair, Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security
“People who are food insecure are more likely to face negative health outcomes. It’s crucial that we develop new strategies to enhance food accessibility among those at risk. By delivering this program through Family Resource Centers, we can reach more people by meeting them where they are. We hope that learning and outcomes from this initiative will provide a framework that can be scaled provincially and even nationally.”
Sarah Stern, Executive Director, Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security
“Family Resource Centres are connected to hundreds of families throughout the province who often struggle to put nutritious food on the table. This program will help parents and children to improve their food security and will empower them to decide and purchase which food is most appropriate for their families.”
Serena Pomeroy, Placentia and Area Family Resource Centre
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Media contacts:
Lynn Robinson, Education
- 709-729-1906, 709-691-9466
- lynnrobinson@gov.nl.ca
Laura Thomas, Health and Community Services
- 709-729-6986; 709-727-0341
- laurathomas@gov.nl.ca
Sarah Stern, Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security
Serena Pomeroy, Placentia and Area Family Resource Centre
- (709) 227-1010
December 11, 2023