Fresh Choice Kitchens is the Community Kitchen Program of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.  It was formerly known as the Vancouver Community Kitchen Project and has been promoting and supporting community kitchens for over ten years.

A community kitchen is a group of individuals who meet regularly to cook healthy, nutritious meals. Everyone is expected to participate in the menu selection, shopping, preparation, and cooking; the only requirement is an interest in food. Good nutrition plays a key role in each community kitchen. Participants learn new recipes and are introduced to new foods that contribute to a more balanced diet. As well, several meals are usually taken home and frozen for later, thus furthering healthy eating habits. Members share food and nutrition knowledge as well as culinary skills.

The mission of the Fresh Choice Kitchens is to build community around food and create opportunities for people to cook together. The program creates educational and fund raising tools, training programs, networking sessions and cooking resources that empower and support individuals and community agencies in their efforts to start and maintain community kitchens.

Fresh Choice Kitchens works with a number of community organizations that share goals similar to ours. Click on the links below to learn more about the fine work being done by our closest partners that we are actively supporting.

• BC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Project
  The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Project distributes coupons to cooking and skill-building programs across B.C., which can be redeemed at local farmers’ markets.

• Cooking Fun for Families (CFFF)
  Cooking Fun for Families (CFFF) is a well-established “hands on” cooking program bridging the community and school environments.  CFFF targets at-risk school children and their families and assists them with daily issues surrounding food, including dietary quality, accessibility and affordability. The program complements school breakfast and lunch programs by involving parents in activities and discussion about the link between nutrition and health.

• Food Skills for Families (FSFF)
  Food Skills For Families was created particularly for cooking groups that serve Aboriginal, Punjabi, new immigrant and low-income communities.  Food Skills for Families is funded through the Canadian Diabetes Association by the BC Healthy Living Alliance.

• Directorate of Agencies for School Health (DASH)
  DASH’s primary mission is to inspire school communities to adopt health-promoting approaches that promote lifelong learning, health and well-being. DASH is also involved in wider issues related to food and community.
   

For further information on Fresh Choice Kitchens, visit:  www.communitykitchens.ca  or contact Diane Collis, Manager, at 604-876-0659 ext 118, email: cooking@foodbank.bc.ca