Food Programs
Monday's 55+ Lunch Gatherings Food Program
Join us for our Monday’s 55+ Lunch food program at Pender Island Community Hall. Hot lunch is served $8 as a sliding scale & we encourage “Pay it Forward” if you are able to pay a bit more to help others. Limited meals for sale for later use. Volunteer driver available to deliver as needed.
See you on Monday!
Upcoming 55+ Monday Lunch Gatherings Menu
February 2025
February 3 : Sweet and Sour Pork
Steamed Rice
February 10 : BBQ Meatloaf
Veg, Mashed Potato
February 17 : Burgers
February 24 : Bangers and Mash
March 2025
March 3 : Chicken Schnitzel
Spaetzle and Lemon Sauce
March 10 : Jerk Chicken
Rice and Peas, Coleslaw
March 17 : Bubble & Squeak
March 24 : Kansas BBQ Ribs
Beans, Coleslaw
March 31 : Chili and Cornbread
Jalapeno Butter
What is Food Security?
Food security is the continuous access for all people to safe and nutritious food regardless of economic or social status.
The concept of food security can be looked at through the principles of the Five A’s:
- Availability: Sufficient food for all people at all times.
- Accessibility: Physical and economic access to food for all at all times.
- Adequacy: Access to food that is nutritious and safe, and produced in environmentally sustainable ways.
- Acceptability: Access to culturally acceptable food, which is produced and obtained in ways that do not compromise people’s dignity, self-respect or human rights.
- Agency: The policies and processes that enable the achievement of food security.
ref: https://canadianfeedthechildren.ca/the-feed/food-security-guide/
Our main goal is to ensure that all community members have access to adequate amounts of safe and nutritious foods and that it is provided in a manner that promotes dignity. Our programs include free or low-cost meals, community kitchens and community gardens.
Additional Food Programs
Come to the community hall from 12-2pm on Mondays for a hot lunch. We ask for a $8 donation or pay what you can.If you can "Play it Forward" by paying a bit more to help others, it would be greatly appreciated. There are limited meals for sale for later use. We have a volunteer driver available to deliver as needed.
Freeze and Share Food Program
The ‘Freeze and Share’ program has professional Island cooks preparing a meal a week for vulnerable seniors and families. A menu is sent out each month and selected dishes can be reserved.
The meals are frozen and then distributed by the volunteers or picked-up. For those who can afford it, any donations are accepted. It is anticipated that holiday baking will also be included.
Kitchen Gardens Program
While the Southern Gulf Islands are a hotspot for home gardeners, many folks face barriers to growing their own food. Not having the space, time, or physical ability can all be challenges facing the hopeful gardener. The SGI CRC is donating three countertop gardens to seniors or families in need, and will provide the potting soil and seeds for them to start growing. The kits are equipped with self-timer grow lights and auto-watering capabilities, leading to convenience and ease while still learning how to grow food. Participants will receive training through Zoom workshops and will receive educational resources to support continuous growing. This pilot project is aiming to be the start of a larger initiative to address the barriers that vulnerable community members may face when wanting to grow their own food, resulting in self-sufficiency and resilience.
Click the button below for a demo video to help you set-up your kitchen garden. If you are having issues, please email admin@sginh.ca
Community Garden Matching
The purpose of this program is to match needy families to private garden spaces to grow food. Individual house owners donate plots of a minimum 6 x 6 to families or seniors to build, develop and grow their own produce.
The sharing of the garden plot is a great way to foster the growing and sharing of food. Volunteer vegetable gardeners share their knowledge, skills, and resources to the families/seniors to help develop food self-sufficiency and maintain health and healing. We are also working to steward some gardens to teach about edible native plants.
The garden matching program has been adapted for winter and will include indoor herb garden kits that include seeds for various herbs, lettuce, and easy grown small vegetables. A link will be provided to Island residents to Zoom for herb/indoor garden training and instruction. The program is run in partnership with the Gulf Islands Food Co-op.
Are you hoping to grow food on Pender but need garden space? Do you have extra garden space that someone could use this year to grow food for the Island? Fill out an application to get matched with a garden or share your garden!
All of your information will be kept confidential and only available to program staff to set up introductions.
Coming Soon: Community Garden Mentorship Program
Suddenly there are lots of new people interested in food gardening and food producing, and they have a lot of questions! Fortunately the Southern Gulf Island has lots of experienced and even some master gardeners hopefully willing to pass along the torch of knowledge. This program will match up novice, experienced and master gardeners and food producers on the Southern Gulf Islands so that you can get the best yield possible.
Connect with us
Do you have an idea for a program or event on Mayne, Pender, Galiano, or Saturna Island to promote food security beyond the harvest months? Do you have a skill that you would like to teach? Do you have an existing program or event that could use support? We would like to hear from you.
We are looking for innovative program and event ideas. Contact us: admin@sginh.ca
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia
