Food Security & Sovereignty–the What and the How

The JFS Food Security Department strives to cultivate good health and a sense of belonging for all people by offering dignified access to eating, learning about, and sharing nutritious foods. What we envision is a community connected and strengthened by food.

Food Services Infrastructure

Over the last few years, we have been working on developing technological tools that supports our work more effectively while also providing clients with opportunities to make personal choices about the food they need. With the support and skills of former JFS board member, Stan Shaw, and funded by the Jewish Community Foundation, we have developed a new and unique application called F.O.O.D. The application allows clients to place grocery orders based on their needs and health restrictions, helps coordinate volunteers drivers, keeps track of our food distribution, and manages our food inventory.

Vancouver Jewish Community Garden

In June, Congregation Beth Israel (CBI), Jewish Family Services (JFS), and Vancouver Talmud Torah (VTT) announced their joint initiative to build the first Jewish Community Garden in Vancouver. The vision for the project is to create a shared gathering place to celebrate and honour nature and its bounties, all with principles rooted in Jewish teachings and values. We are grateful to the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver for its Transformation Grant, to the Diamond Foundation for temporarily loaning the land to this project, and to the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation for their generous seed gift.

Learning Hub

JFS partnered with UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems and welcomed the first student cohort at the Kitchen. The project was focused on education and explored the difference between food security and food sovereignty. While JFS’s goal is to build a food secure community, it is equally important to us that we achieve this goal while ensuring dignity and sustainable practices.