Searching for Grow / Pick Your Own Food

Social housing community with around 130 family units and approximately 500 people. Many are children and youth, single parents and new immigrants.

Offers a wide range of services to the community

• Homework club
• Art program
• United Sisters
• March Break/summer day camps
• Leadership programs
• Youth drop-in
• ESL/conversation classes
• Collective Kitchen
• Community computer access
• Free printing/photocopying/scanning
• Food cupboard for after-school program
• Community garden
• Good Food Box
• Parenting workshops

Addresses issues facing children and youth

• remove barriers to learning
• prepare local students for post-secondary success
• organizes events

Lease of garden plots

• plots are on Viewmount between Merivale Rd and Fisher Ave

Plots:

• full annual 20 ft x 30 ft
• half annual 15 ft x 20 ft
• perennial 15 ft x 20 ft
• raised boxes 4 ft x 12 ft

COVID19 (30 Aug 2021): Program is currently running, email or get in touch via Facebook group for service details.

Zero waste mini gardens for individuals without access to a food bank

• Volunteer opportunities available

Personalized home and health care services. Care is provided by experienced and mature individuals 50 years and older

• personal support
• meal planning and preparation
• companion care
• dementia care
• hospital discharge
• palliative care
• assistance recovering from an accident
• light housekeeping
• errands
• transportation
• grocery shopping
• gardening
• yard work
• home maintenance and repairs

Supports and aims to improve the lives of individuals and families of African and Caribbean descent

Programs include:

• Greatness is Within Me Summer Camp
• Kuumba March Break Camp
• Black Star Tutoring
• Mentorship
• Enhanced Youth Outreach Worker Program
• Call Me! Let's Chat
• Black Seniors Virtual Network
• Domestic Pioneers
• African History Classes
• GreenStar Community Garden

COVID-19 (5 Sep 2022): All public meetings are being held virtually. Visit the website.

Club for gardeners and plant growers

• promotes horticultural activities

Activities

• plant sales
• garden tours
• plant shows with judges and prizes
• photography competitions
• community beautification projects
• speakers and discussions
• newsletter

Group of trained volunteers who offer free garden advice year round

• telephone help line
• e-mail help
• advice clinics
• speakers
• special events and newsletters

Garden plots to lease

• plots are located near Blackburn Hamlet on Anderson Road and in Blackburn Hamlet off Orient Park Drive

Plots:

• Full annual 25' x 50', Half annual 25' x 25', Perennial 25' x 25'

Research-informed peer support and mental health programming to Canadian veterans

Programming

• art therapy
• beekeeping
• organic gardening
• chicken keeping
• donkey walking

COVID-19: Seed and Soil Project, with financial support from the City of Ottawa, through COVID Emergency Fund and Social Service Relief Fund, will continue in 2021.

Focused on working in partnering with community organizations who work with individuals and families who are living with low incomes

• no cost
• offers soil for 3500 families (3 blue bins full per family) and attendant seeds
• each organization can one or two loads of soil, enough for 180 families, along with seed packets for distribution

Each seed package comes with:

• 6-7 different types of seed (swiss chard, kale, turnip, cabbage, beets, peas, yellow and green beans)
• basic growing instructions

Potential Partner Organizations can access detailed information from this link

The City rents plots for summer gardening

• supplies water, cuts grass and removes garbage
• standard plot is approximately 25 feet by 75 feet

Emergency food hampers to those in need

• hampers are about five days worth of food
• deliveries available for those without access to transportation

Community Gardens:

• support and access to community gardens in Carleton Place, Pakenham and Blakeney

Complementary Cooking Classes:

• suspended until further notice

COVID-19 (16 April 2020): Providing a website with information on food access in Ottawa: https://goodfoodottawa.ca/

Supports the local food and farming systems

• workshops
• start-up farm program
• visit the website for more information

Information and ressource sharing service on the sustainable development of the community gardens in Ottawa

• assists in the establishment of new community gardens
• provides support to existing gardens
• supports all forms of household food growing and edible landscape
• raising awareness about food and gardening through newsletter and events

COVID-19 (7 September 2021) Open by appointment * Food Bank operates by leaving name and phone number when calling the Food Bank Coordinator at 613-830-4347 ext 158. * For access to the other modified services, programs and contacts call 613-830-4347 or visit the website for details. Christmas program is offered for 2021 (see separate record).

Community resource centre

• information and referral
• advocacy
• crisis intervention
• individual and family counselling
• child & youth programs
• support groups
• parenting skills
• community development
• school supplies program (see separate record for details)
• type 2 diabetes program
• speech therapy for young children
• volunteer coordination
• food bank
• action housing
• Counselling Family Services Ottawa
• Employment Ontario
• First Words
• LESA
• Doyle Salewski (financial advise)
• Military Families Services
• Contact North - Online courses
• Société franco-ontarienne de l'autisme

EarlyON Centre:

• information and referrals
• early learning services and training
• playgroups

Medical health team Équipe de santé familiale communautaire de l'Est d'Ottawa

• Sexual Health Clinic

Good Food Bank: 3-5 day supply of fresh food and pantry staples for individuals and families, available once a month. Food bank accepts food donations.

Community Meals: Dine-in Meals: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 4:30 pm-6 pm. Transportation support is available to attend meals and take-out meals may be available at 5:45 pm, depending on food quantities. Call with any questions.

Peer Advocacy: Support, referrals and resources to community members seeking help with housing, income support, etc. Offer help process applications for low-income supports for energy bills including the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) and Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP). No appointment necessary.

After-School Program: Free after-school program which provides hands-on fun in the garden and kitchen where children 8-11 years old learn to grow and cook healthy food. Activities also include physical activity, games and art. Pre-registration is required.

Community Kitchen: Offers a range of cooking, nutrition and health programs. Some programs are drop-in, others by registration. Call or visit website for current program schedule.

Community Garden: Participants take home vegetables and learn how to grow healthy food, connect with others in a welcoming space and enjoy the outdoor setting. Hosts a series of monthly gardening workshops throughout the winter as well as work parties in early spring and fall.

Community Action Network: Discussions of current events, community issues and how to create change in the community, organize local actions to address poverty and food access. Lunch is provided.

Volunteers: Volunteer opportunities available that are open to everyone. Offer an array of shifts to fit any schedule.

Network organisation working collectively towards food security, food literacy, and economic growth for their region

• works to connect, inform, and empower public leaders, producers, processors, community members, and organisations to build a stronger and more resilient food community

Advocacy efforts include:

• poverty reduction and access to food for all, increased opportunity for redeveloping food skills
• community maintained green spaces for learning and gardening
• local food procurement for the Broader Public Sector, greater municipal support for the local food industry and small-scale farmers, and cross-sectoral planning and policy development

Programs and initiatives supported by the network include:

• Green Food Box Program
• PRSDG Local Food Map
• SDG Community Garden Network
• community kitchens and traditional food skills workshops
• farm-to-school tours and classroom presentations
• farmers' markets
• food-focused community events
• notable events include the 10 Day Local Food Challenge, the Incredible Edible Plant Festival, Seedy Sunday, and the Eastern Ontario Garlic Festival

Public library

• offers books, magazines and other publications, CDs, DVDs
• provides programs for preschools
• Book Club
• Internet access
• photocopying, fax and printing services available at cost
• rental of snow shoes, basketballs, outdoor play equipment, etc.
• seed library

Community centre

• gymnasium
• program and meeting rooms
• community kitchen
• community office space
• sound room
• Rideau Heights Library Branch (see separate record for details)
• skate park
• Ontario Works drop in
• various recreation programs, see Program Guide for details

Administrative services:

• Kingston Transit pass sales (multi-ride cards only)
• blue bin and grey bin pickup
• garbage bag tag sales
• recreation services
• pet licensing

Housing and social services:

• walk-in inquiries about Housing & Social Services programs
• apply for the Municipal Fee Assistance Program (MFAP)
• drop-off for forms, income statements and documents

See City of Kingston website for latest updates

Neighbourhood-run community garden on municipal lands

• roughly 40-50 plots available

Gardening plots available on city-owned land facing Elmwood Street at Bowling Green Apartments

• gardeners maintain large composter
• two accessible garden beds

Program offers garden plots to anyone who can benefit by growing their own fresh fruits and vegetables.

Program to encourage donation of fresh food to local food banks