[BCFSN] UBCM Food Insecurity Resolution

[Melissa Hemphill]

Good morning fine foodie folks,

I am hoping that those of you with connections to local government can meet
with officials that will be attending the UBCM conference in the fall to
let them know about a resolution that will come before them, and request
their support for this resolution.

On June 25th, Anita Ely, Specialist Environmental Health Officer with
Interior Health and I presented a resolution to the Revelstoke City Council
to take to UBCM. The council approved the request to take this resolution
to UBCM, which reads like this:

*Whereas more than one in ten households in BC, [1 in 7 households in the
Interior Region], experience household food insecurity and are more
vulnerable to chronic conditions leading to health care costs that are 2x
higher than food secure households; *

*And whereas the root cause of household food insecurity is lack of income
demonstrated by a sharp increase in the prevalence of food insecurity as
household income falls; *

*And whereas rates of household food insecurity are not reduced by efforts
that focus on charitable food programs, food waste redistribution, and
cooking and gardening programs as these actions do not address lack of
income and extreme material deprivation that are at the root of household
food insecurity. *

* Therefore be it resolved that UBCM frame food insecurity as an
income-based problem and advocate to provincial and federal governments for
evidence based policy solutions to food insecurity.*

Please find the powerpoint presentation and a video recording of our
delegation in the following links:

Presentation to City Council:

https://bit.ly/2YTKb0n

Video of delegation:

https://bit.ly/2YNhF0g

If you have any questions, I welcome them anytime. The more support that
this resolution has going into UBCM, the more likely it is to get passed,
and the time to prepare and educate local government on the issue is over
the summer...now.

Thanks for any efforts you can put towards this! I'd love to hear any
stories about your meetings.

Melissa Hemphill

-- 

Melissa Hemphill,
Food Security Coordinator,
Community Connections (Revelstoke) Society
<http://community-connections.ca/community-outreach-and-development/#tab3>
(p) 250-837-2920 x31
(c) 250-814-3207
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