Things had only just begun to settle from Snowmaggedon when we were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Public Health Emergency became a reality in Newfoundland and Labrador, our focus immediately shifted to emergency response. 

Spreading the Word

Food First NL played a key role in information dissemination throughout the Public Health Emergency through: the creation on our website of our Community Food Programs Database, which contains contact information for over 82 community food programs province wide; our involvement in media releases at the beginning of the pandemic, particularly those centred around funding; and the co-launching of Community Food Helpline with the Jimmy Pratt Foundation, SeniorsNL, Government of NL, and the NL association of the Deaf. The helpline is a resource that offers a non-digital way to access information about Community Food Programs and to arrange food deliveries. 

Working Together 

Throughout the pandemic, Food First NL has also played a significant role in bringing community groups and government together. In March, we were invited by the Provincial Government to co-chair a Food Security Working Group under the Vulnerable Populations Task Force. The Working Group has a standing open invitation to 86 member organizations from across the province, and on each call, organizations are welcome to provide updates on their status, needs, and findings, and collectively the Work Group assists with finding solutions. From April through July, the Food Security Working Group co-chaired a call each week and moved to a biweekly call in August. 

The group is still meeting every two weeks, and in November, we used one of the calls to host a roundtable and planning session, where we asked attendees for their feedback about emergency response and the role of community and government throughout the pandemic. 

Discovering the Gap(s)

One thing that became abundantly clear throughout our emergency response was that there are huge gaps in our social systems, and our food system is no exception. We identified areas in our province where food security responses are needed. 

Transportation of food was one of these areas. In the early days of the pandemic, we formed a partnership with PAL Airlines, who donated their resources (including staff and vehicles) to deliver food to communities in which they have a presence. Beyond that, Food First NL secured funding from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to set up and support food supports in areas where PAL does not operate. We have been setting up transportation contracts all across the province. 

Gardens Galore 

In the face of COVID-19 and its effect on food supply, there was an uptick in interest for community gardening. 

Food First NL answered many requests for information regarding community gardens and the rules and regulations imposed on them by the pandemic. In addition to requests for information, we were able to facilitate some virtual workshops about community gardening. One situation in particular to note is when we assisted with the start-up of Project Grow, an initiative that distributed 500 container gardening kits to low-income neighbourhoods in and around St. John’s in May. We also secured funding to further support existing community gardening programs in three remote communities in the Coast of bays region. 

Community Food Program Support Fund

In April, there was an influx of funding requests from community food programs in our network who needed help adjusting to the new normal and to meet growing demand. This led us to launch the Community Food Program Support Fund, our direct response to the pandemic. To date, we have been able to bring in $835,000 in investments to the Fund from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Community Food Centres Canada, McConnell Foundation, Sprott Foundation, and International Grenfell Association. We have distributed that investment to more than 154 grassroots programs operated by over 120 organizations. While Food First NL has distributed small pockets of funding in the past, the Community Food Program Support Fund was a new endeavor that increased our capacity as a funder. 

Despite the transition to a virtual working model, Food First NL was contacted by many individuals and organizations in search of information regarding food policy, community garden information, and volunteer opportunities. We also facilitated and/or co-hosted many presentations and workshops virtually. While the numbers are smaller than they would be in a regular year, the impact of our normal work was still possible through virtual channels, which enabled us to continue some of our regular programming in an adjusted way.  

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